Eugene Byrd and Bill's Burgers

This week we talk to television executive and producer, Mandy Summers. We get in to the details of what a studio current executive does. How the casting process works from the point of view of a creative executive and stories from her experiences working with Jalen Rose and Larry Bird on a TV Pilot.

Actress Bailey Noble joins us to talk about her starring role alongside Mike in the film, The Archer, her roles in True Blood, The Rookie and more.

Casting director Rick Millikan joins the podcast to talk about what a casting director does and shares stories from his career casting hundreds of episodes of Television (X-Files, Bones, Married With Children, Shark, Melissa & Joey). We dive inside the casting room and he gives advice to aspiring actors, directors and producers.

This week our good friend, actor, renaissance man, advocate Ignacio Serricchio comes on the pod to talk about growing up in Argentina, moving to Mexico and choosing a college based on an Adam Sandler film. Ignacio has had a great year with a starring role in Clint Eastwood's film, The Mule a huge part in the Netflix series, Lost in Space and a starring role in the Netflix Spanish language original series, El Recluso (The Inmate). Oh...and he also claims with that the best pizza in the world comes from his homeland, Argentina.

What's better than a soup dumpling from Din Tai Fung? Join us as we have a fun, engaging conversation with actress, Carla Gallo (Undeclared, Bones, Neighbors, 40 Yr Old Virgin, Carnivale) as she tells us about her career working in Hollywood. We dive in to her on set experience with Judd Apatow & Seth Rogen on multiple movies and shows. From how she got her start in the arts to her character names "Toe Sucking Girl", and "Period Blood Girl". She What it was like to be land the lead in Judd's TV show, "Undeclared" and work alongside Charlie Hunnam, Jason Segel, Jenna Fischer, Paul Fieg and more.

Actor and rapper Page Kennedy comes on Second Meal and talks about how he booked his first television pilot by pretending to be a delivery guy, how Kathy Bates got him to cry, eating mac and cheese with John Francis Daley, being a father and how to breakthrough as a social media star. Throughout his long career Page has appeared in numerous films and TV shows such as the international blockbuster, THE MEG, WEEDS, BLUE MOUNTAIN STATE, SIX FEET UNDER, BACKSTROM, BONES, RUSH HOUR, UNSOLVED, COLD CASE, SWAT, BARBERSHOP just to name a few. He is a rapper having released two albums, two mixtapes and one joint album with his son, Wolf God. He frequently appears on the Shade 45 Channel on Sirius XM Radio. His social media reaches more than 3.5 million people across platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and Youtube.

Mike and Josh devour a delicious Chicken Pot Pie from Simple Things Restaurant and interview director Valerie Weiss (The Archer, The Resident, Suits, The Rookie, Chicago Med). Valerie has a degree in molecular biology from Princeton and a PHD in Medical Sciences from Harvard. By far the most academically accomplished guest to grace Second Meal, Weiss talks about her burgeoning career as a film and TV director, her process of working with actors and her favorite healthy snacks on set.

Mike and Josh sit down with Actor, Eugene Byrd. Eugene started acting at 7 years old in Philadelphia and reveals when he knew acting was his destiny. From how Eugene was cast to play 'Eugene' on The Cosby Show to acting advice from legends like Johnny Depp and Robert Mitchum on the set of the film "Dead Man,” Byrd’s career has been anything but dull. And, if you ever wanted to know Eugene's auditioning tips for the role of a crackhead or how to order a Philly Cheese Steak, you'll want to listen to this episode of Second Meal.

From not knowing a soul in Los Angeles to running a hit TV show, Writer / Producer Michael Peterson (Bones, Bull) comes on the Pod to talk about his steady rise in the entertainment industry. Michael dives in deep to tell us about his love of LA food, the sale of his first script, working for "The Dude” and finding a long term home writing for the show, "Bones".

Actor Pej Vahdat (Bones, Empire, The Village) sits down with Mike and Josh to discuss his early career and his fight to get in the room as a young actor (including a story about when he started his own management company). Pej gives Mike and Josh some advice on gummy bears, best Persian food in LA and how to order a burrito.