your entertainment corner

What amazes me about doing a podcast is that most people agree to come on and do it in their free time. I sincerely respect that, even when nothing seems to go as planned. 

This episode is one of those as the entertaining comedian Victoria Jackson joins The Staffa Corner Podcast. Little did I know she was having her guest bathroom remodeled, forcing her to interview from inside her car. 

Usually, I’d edit out all the commotion, but she suggested we leave it in. 

I enjoyed talking to such a comedic talent, having appeared in 109 episodes of Saturday Night Live. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did.

Learn more about Victoria by checking out her website at https://victoriajackson.com

In 2014, I took part in a press call with Brandon Jay McLaren, one of the stars of the hit USA Network series Graceland. During the interview (found here) I let him know while I enjoyed his performance as U.S. Customs agent Dale Jakes I was frustrated with how little screen time he was getting. He assured me a major shift for Jakes was coming. Thankfully, he was right.

Fast forward to 2021, Disney announces Turner & Hooch, a follow-up series to the classic Tom Hanks film of the same name. Airing weekly on Disney+ the series stars Josh Peck as Scott Turner, Matt Hamilton as Trent Havelock, and McLaren as US Marshal Xavier Watkins. When I heard the news, I was excited to see what the series had to offer.  As much as I enjoy the series I found myself with a familiar question - why isn’t there more of McLaren?

So who better to ask than the Canadian-born actor himself. I reached out to McLaren and he was gracious enough to come on The Staffa Corner to talk about the series and my concerns, as well as his career. Once again McLaren put me at ease by assuring me this is only the beginning for his character.

With my concerns appeased I welcomed the chance to catch up with the talented actor. Talking to McLaren is a delight as he sincerely discussed how fortunate he’s been in his career. I especially appreciated hearing the cautious approach he took when offered the role of the Red Ranger on Power Rangers S.P.D.

I’m beyond excited to learn he’s joining ABC’s The Rookie for a multi-episode storyline. Having played various types of law enforcement characters I’m excited to see him on the other side of the law.

I sincerely appreciate McLaren taking the time out of his busy schedule to join me on The Staffa Corner. Hopefully, it won’t be another seven years before our next interview.

To find out more about Reach Within, a charity close to McLaren’s heart, you can visit their website here.

You can also check out Turner & Hooch every Wednesday on Disney+.

Finally, be sure to check out my interview with McLaren’s Turner & Hooch costar Matt Hamilton here.

In this episode of The Staffa Corner Podcast, I spoke with Marti King Young. Marti is an award-winning writer, producer, and director. She has directed shorts, including Stolen and the upcoming western White Talon City about a female gunslinger who frees abused women. Marti’s screenwriting credits include the shorts Bound and Bagged, Draw, So Far Gone, and more.

With the release of the Wonder Woman sequel the discussion of pay for female versus male directors in this episode of The Staffa Corner seems timely. It’s interesting listening to Marti share her opinion of why you see so many female directors of indy films at film festivals but not so many when it comes to big-budget studio films.

I love hearing stories about things that happen on the set of shows I love. I especially got a kick when listening to her tell the story about Jason Ritter and India de Beaufort’s encounter with an unexpected guest on the set of Kevin (Probably) Saves the World. On a side note, I believe the short lived series should have gotten more love than it did. Ritter gave an amazing performance tailor made to showcase his comedic talents.

As enjoyable as these stories are, they pale in comparison to the passion Marti has when it comes to directing The Adventures of Wonderboy. The pride in her voice as she talks about bringing her autistic son’s creation to life is inspiring to hear. While Hollywood focuses on awards and dollar signs, Wonderboy is at the heart of filmmaking. It’s stories like these that inspire others to pick up a camera or notebook and tell stories. 

Having followed Marti for over two years on social media, one of the things I’ve admired is how she props up the people around her and brings out the best of them. She’s always looking to help make other writers better. In such a cutthroat industry it’s refreshing to see people be civil and encourage others to succeed. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for such a talented person.