🎙️043 | Todd & Jay: When You’re Broke, Stuck, and Still Have to Show Up
Release Date: 12/31/2024
Offstage Acting
Today’s guests are Rob and Helen Bee — voiceover professionals, podcast hosts, and community builders behind The VO Social, a UK-wide grassroots movement that’s changing how voice artists connect and grow. Rob and Helen talk with Todd Kramer and Jay Reum about the loneliness of the VO life and how they’ve worked to combat it — not just with their podcast, but with real-world meetups, business services, and grassroots support. They share their journey from working VO professionals to running a creative services company tailored specifically for voice artists, helping them with tech,...
info_outlineOffstage Acting
Today’s guest is Kenneth Jay, a seasoned Canadian actor with decades of experience across theatre, film, and television. Known for his dedication to craft and his deep respect for storytelling, Kenneth has built a career that bridges continents and philosophies. In this inspiring and laughter-filled episode, hosts Todd Kramer and Jay Reum chat with Kenneth about the unique discipline of being an understudy, the art of preparation without certainty, and why truth is always at the center of performance. Kenneth shares his journey from Ottawa to Ryerson Theatre School, his surprising connection...
info_outlineOffstage Acting
Today’s guest is Kym Jackson — Aussie actor, author, and co-founder of the Secret Actor Society. Kym’s journey spans continents and platforms: she launched her career onstage in Australia, made the leap to Hollywood, and hasn’t stopped working since. You’ve seen her on Criminal Minds, NCIS: LA, This Is Us, and SWAT — or in films like Snitch, Iron Sky, and We Bury the Dead. But acting is just one facet of her creative powerhouse. In this episode, Kym opens up about navigating the business with grace and grit — from managing self-tapes and raising a family to launching an...
info_outlineOffstage Acting
Today’s episode is a little different — it’s just Todd and Jay, mic’d up and mood-swinging their way through one of those actor chats that starts with “I’m not feeling it” and ends with “okay, I’ve got a little fire back.” In this candid bonus conversation, Todd and Jay explore the ebb and flow of motivation in an actor’s life — why it disappears, how to rediscover it, and the tools they’ve each developed to stay (or get back) on track. From inner drive to outer community, yoga hacks to time-blocking, and even the occasional black hole of self-doubt, this is a...
info_outlineOffstage Acting
Today’s guest is the brilliant Brendan McNamara — actor, former child star, and founder of Beach Casting, a casting agency making waves across the UK and Ireland. From appearing in films like Angela’s Ashes and War of the Buttons to launching one of the most actor-friendly casting studios in the game, Brendan shares his uniquely personal journey through both sides of the audition table. We talk candidly about the transition from actor to casting director, the kind of performers he loves to work with, the shifting landscape of self-tapes, and why kindness and professionalism still matter....
info_outlineOffstage Acting
Today’s guest is not only a brilliant actor, but one of the loudest, clearest voices advocating for honesty and safety in the industry. Alexa Morden is best known as the co-creator and co-host of The 98% Podcast — a refreshingly unfiltered look at life for the vast majority of actors who don’t earn their full living from acting. She’s also an award-winning performer in her own right, with credits in Skins, Fresh Meat, The Great Train Robbery, and the indie feature The Colour of Spring, which earned her over 25 Best Actress awards on the festival circuit. In this episode, Alexa opens up...
info_outlineOffstage Acting
This week on Offstage Acting, Todd Kramer welcomes the brilliant Kezia Burrows — a Welsh actor whose career spans classical theatre, television drama, and the high-stakes world of motion capture and video game performance. Born in Neath and raised in the seaside village of New Quay, Kezia trained at RADA and now voices and embodies characters in some of the most acclaimed games out there. You might know her as Amanda Ripley in Alien: Isolation, Dr. Emma Fisher in Observation, or from Cyberpunk 2077, CrossfireX, Hellblade, and more. We dive into: 🎠Her classical training and transition...
info_outlineOffstage Acting
This week we are celebrating our 50th episode! Hurray. Jay and I talk about where we've been where we are and were going. We catch up with Jay after his month long yoga retreat to India. My experience doing amateur dramatics. And we dive into a few other fun topics all in celebration of the good times we've had so far and the good times yet to come. So here's to the first and the next 50 episodes of the offstage acting podcast! #acting #actingpodcast #actor #actors #act #actorslife
info_outlineOffstage Acting
Today’s guest is Jason Baughan - a classically trained actor whose journey from the West End stage to directing cinematic storytelling in major video games is nothing short of epic. In this episode, Todd Kramer and Jay Reum welcome the multi-talented Jason Baughan (yes, that’s “Baughan,” not “Bourne”) for a spirited dive into his career evolution. Trained at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Jason started with a love of Shakespeare and a West End run in the Olivier-winning Sunny Afternoon, where he went from guitar player to live stage drummer in front of 900 people....
info_outlineOffstage Acting
Sometimes an actor goes through all of the training and all of the courses and pays all their dues and does very well and enjoys the education and the process… and then steps out into the bright lights of the industry with all its mechanisms and professional trappings, takes a long look around and says: “Meh. You know what? I don't think this is for me. I don't love it.” And today, Todd Kramer and Jay Reum talk to just such an actor. His name is Rob Cairns. But don't worry about good old Rob—he’s landed on his feet. Rob trained at UEA and the Oxford School of Drama, dove deep into...
info_outlineThis one’s just us. 🎠No guest. No filters. Just two working actors — Todd Kramer and Jay Reum — getting real about what it takes to stay in the game when everything feels stuck.
We talk about burnout, creative droughts, shifting priorities, bad auditions, fighting for mental clarity, and figuring out what really fuels you as an artist. It’s funny, it’s fierce, and it’s the kind of episode every actor should bookmark for the next time they feel like quitting.
Whether you’re broke, blocked, or just plain tired, this Bonusode will remind you why we do it — and how to keep doing it on your own terms.
⏱️ CHAPTERS
00:00 – Opening
02:30 – Actor New Year chaos: what even is this industry
07:30 – Creative slumps and why they sneak up on you
12:30 – What’s the point when nothing’s working?
17:30 – The future, the fear, and forging your own path
22:30 – What motivates us (and what definitely doesn’t)
27:30 – Small wins, big perspective
31:30 – Holding space for your actor self
36:00 – Final words: keep going
đź’¬ Join the Conversation
Been in a slump lately? Tell us how you're staying motivated (or not). Drop a comment or DM us.
đź”— CONNECT & FOLLOW
🎧 Full Podcast & More: https://offstageacting.com/podcast
📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/offstageacting
❌ X: https://x.com/OffstageActing
-
🔗 Todd’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/toddkramer
-
🔗 Jay’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jayreum
#actingpodcast #actorlife #motivationforactors #burnout #workingactors #toddandjay #offstageacting #actorsupport #creativityslump