Rough Day In Showbiz

Actor Sam Menke makes his podcast debut here! His Rough Day In Showbiz stories include: a near wig mishap in a very serious musical, and his final college show (or lack thereof) during the beginning of dark COVID times. Justin tells a Rough Day In Showbiz story about doing Summer stock and falling in love (or lack thereof).

This episode will definitely bring you back to your awkward, but memorable highschool theater and college days!

The actress with the coolest last name ever Jessica Debonville made her appearance! She has lived in Los Angeles for many years and seen it all. There were plenty of Rough Day In Showbiz stories to choose from. These include a frighteningly sketchy audition in the apartment of a "director, writer, filmmaker" who kept noting he had just broken up with his girlfriend. Also working on a project that started as 5 pages, and multiplied into 23 pages on the day she showed up! Justin shares a Rough Day In Showbiz story from the day he arrived SUPER late to shoot a music video. Plus, the time he caught a stalker while working background on a Robert Pattinson movie!

Malorie the adventurer tells us of all her adventures! Her first Rough Day In Showbiz story begins when she was in college studying theatre in a moment when her real life bizarrely paralleled the scene she was about to perform, plus a tyrant acting teacher who wouldn't hear of it. Then she fills us in on the difficulties of producing a project during the height of COVID and dealing with all the caveats that come with it. Plus another story about working with a diva host and cool details from filming her adventure travel show while road tripping. Many thanks to Malorie for her candor!

Heeeeeere’s Ming!! This man has had such an eclectic career with plenty o’ rough day stories to share. From mild stories like having his hair dyed blond with several coats of painful chemicals for a villain role to a tiny speck of spinach almost blowing a scene with Oscar winners in a career-defining movie. Plus tons of actor tips, gems, and helpful showbiz advice to boot! Ming Lo was a five star guest. 

What a guy Doug is! From many years of acting experience under his belt he came to the podcast loaded with Rough Day In Showbiz tales. He talks about his time emceeing with the Chippendales and touring the world with them. This includes a Rough Day story about the Chippendales bus leaving him stranded in Canada with nothing. He also tells several on set stories including doing a movie in India where he overconfidently decided to do his own stunt during an explosive scene, resulting in a very scary experience. He also reminisces about his early entrepreneurial days as a teenager running a hot dog cart that got chased away by the Greek mafia. It was a hell of a time with Doug!

What can’t Candace do?? Highly accomplished and experienced actress Candace Kita joins the pod and tells a plethora of Rough Day In Showbiz stories. She opens with a story of getting slammed with a hefty rewrite of ALL her dialogue the morning of a shoot for a big network show…then messing it all up…A LOT. She tells another Rough Day In Showbiz story about her character’s dialect being changed from English to Chinese to French ALL IN THE SAME DAY. She had to skip lunch. Then another Rough Day In Showbiz story when she was told by the producer of a big network show that her Chinese accent “doesn’t sound Chinese enough”. Justin tells a Rough Day In Showbiz story about a strange acting class that turned out to be a sex cult. Candace rules!!

First episode of 2023 woo hoo! Kicking it off with the kindest actor Albert Lew! He tells a hilarious Rough Day In Showbiz story about a web series disaster which includes a bed made out of cardboard boxes, acting to a pile of clothes with a wig on it, and the WORST CRAFTY OF ALL TIME. Justin also tells a Rough Day In Showbiz story about an overnight film shoot that was pretty raw (pun)…his story really is the meat of the episode (pun)…very high stakes (pun). Couldn’t have been happier to have Albert as the starting guest for the new year! 

Radio killed the video star! The delightful Jaz came to the podcast and told soooo many radio-Rough Days In Showbiz stories. One of them detailed her early days working at KISS FM as an intern when she had to dawn a terrible-smelling reindeer costume for a Christmas event to pay her dues. Then another, where she took a very nasty fall and sustained a very unaesthetically-pleasing injury, during a VERY public parade. Plus one more, where a swarm of angry bees terrorized a charity event for cancer. Justin also tells Rough Day In Showbiz story about getting injured on stage right before a scene started...with only moments before having to enter another scene. Jaz is the first radio host to dawn the Rough Day In Showbiz podcast and is the coolest person!

It's tea with Renata! She tells a Rough Day In Showbiz story about working on a film with a promising director who turned out to be a complete sham! Also a Rough Day In Showbiz about a very difficult swimming shoot on a cold, windy beach doing take-after-take in the freezing water. Plus, she recounts a Rough Day In Showbiz acting on Bobby Flay's first cooking show, headed by a tremendously creepy producer. Renata rocks the house! 

Thea Rodgers is astounding! She tells a Rough Day In Showbiz about having to learn an entire play just 4 days before the show started. Plus, other Rough Day In Showbiz stories about a tyrannical, toxically-masculine boss, and a Romeo and Juliet death-scene mishap. Justin also recants a Rough Day In Showbiz about a commercial audition that felt more like being a third-wheel on a date. 

Get your Dunkin' Donuts ready because Katies' got some wicked crazy Rough Day In Showbiz stories to tell. In her first story, she learns she got a callback for an audition via a napkin, written by an eccentric director, who didn't even bother to write what time to show up. Her second story is about signing with a seemingly good talent agent who appeared to have his ducks in a row, but then a mere week later dropped her as a client for reasons that were beyond psychotic. Thirdly, she tells the episode title story, "Cabaret Crook" about a pay-to-play performance run by a man who was more of a bully than a director, and more of a scumbag than a show producer. Also, Justin tells a story about attending an industry workshop that abruptly became marred by right-wing politics. Katie is a wicked cool guest, and this episode definitely gets a standing ovation! 

Happy 2022 from Rough Day In Showbiz! We are kicking this year off with some hot gossip from Jake Iorio. He tells us a Rough Day In Showbiz story about a stern talent agent who wanted abnormally high percentages without delivering any auditions. Then another about a casual date with a so-called “producer” that turned into a twisted harassment nightmare.

Caslin does a double-triple-flip onto the pod! She provides a treasure trove of phenomenal and unique Rough Day In Showbiz stories that have never been told before! She tells a story about a supposed audition for a “tech” hosting gig that turned out to be a haywire cattle call for...a dating app? She also shares a collection of Rough Day In Showbiz stories about working as a dancer and dealing with unexpectedly unfortunate wardrobe malfunctions and pushy clients asking her to do dangerous stunts. We also get to hear her experiences working hosting gigs and earnestly presenting to audiences who ignored her completely. Caslin’s episode is big Rough Day In Showbiz energy! 

Brenda's amusing and informative episode is full of Rough Day In Showbiz stories and an education on how to publish and promote your own booK! She tells a Rough Day In Showbiz story about a demo reel footage situation with a director who initially promised the world but slowly drifted away into oblivion, another about an agent who didn't do their job correctly and cost Brenda a huge audition, plus some highs and lows of self-publishing as well as useful information for a place to begin if you are looking to. Brenda packs no punches in this episode! 

Dana Lyn Baron ("Being The Ricardos", "Mank", "Bosch") has arrived! She tells an early Rough Day In Showbiz story about starting out as a teenager working as a dancer in theater and enduring the growing pains of learning how to be a professional. Another about being a bartender at a Broadway theater and having to cope with the onslaught of theatergoers desperate for their alcohol. Another about a side job working as a temp alongside very toxic people. Plus, one about working at producer Scott Rudin's office where she had to take phone calls from people like the head of Paramount and be cautious not to click the wrong button and hang up! This episode is a must-listen for anyone who loves New York, and Dana is a smashing guest! 

The clever Tim drops in to tell Rough Day In Showbiz stories about his first commercial shoot where his hunger as an actor made him show-off and actually get hurt, an intense time in a voiceover booth with a nightmare audition-runner, a strange run-in with an actor he was competing for a role with while delivering their food, and a crowning golden Rough Day In Showbiz story about doing a drunken stand-up set in New York City. You’re gonna love Tim! 

Ashlei rocks! She takes us through a trip of her life living in LA from lows to highs and from side jobs to creative successes. She tells a Rough Day In Showbiz story about a mirror falling on her head during her first commercial shoot, another about working in a haunted hotel and dealing with Karens (both living and dead). Plus one more about working as a massage therapist on a customer who enjoyed getting the knots out a little too much. Ashlei is also a staunch advocate for the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities and an exceedingly inspirational person.

Susan (Cobra Kai, Loki, Queering) provides LOTS of beautiful showbiz wisdom. She tells Rough Day In Showbiz stories about getting calls for auditions whilst at the airport about to board a plane, a smelly situation in an audition waiting room, and shares the quirks of playing her beloved character "homeless on the hit show Cobra Kai!