DENNIS ANYONE? with Dennis Hensley
"A podcast about making things up and making things happen." L.A.-based writer-performer Dennis Hensley believes that art and creativity make the world go around and make life worth living. Each week, he interviews a different creative person each about what they do, why they do it, and how they manage the ups and downs of a creative life. Some guests are famous, some are less so...all are what Dennis describes as "beautiful strugglers." Past guests have included authors, actors, photographers, musicians, screenwriters, acrobats and one visual artist who makes cartoons centered around dead houseflies.
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Grangeville actor Tim Cummings: "I Wanted To Do It For All The Arnies"
07/02/2026
Grangeville actor Tim Cummings: "I Wanted To Do It For All The Arnies"
Dennis is joined via Zoom by actor Tim Cummings who is currently starring as Arnie in the hit play Grangeville by Samuel D. Hunter (The Whale) at the Rustin Group Theatre in Santa Monica, CA. The play is about two estranged half-brothers, one in Idaho, one in Holland, who connect to discuss the care and finances of their ailing mother but end up reckoning with a whole lot more. Tim talks about seeing the play in New York in 2025 and experiencing a rush through his body that told him he had to bring the play to L.A. and star in it. He also talks about his character Arnie and how, though he's justified in all his resentments for how his family treated him as a gay boy growing up, those same resentments might be holding him back as a adult. Tim also talks about appearing in the 9-11 firefighter play The Guys in New York and what it was like when his firefighter father came to see it. Other topics include: the difference between doing theater in NY vs. LA, his love for spiders and octopi, taking a seven year break from acting to study creative writing and publish two books, understudying Stanley Tucci in Frankie and Johnny on Broadway, his goth kid teen years and his belief that, "if something comes across your field, you better go after it." www.RuskinGroupTheatre.com
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Feral Fatale Star & Writer Nadya Ginsburg: "Thanks For Coming."
06/25/2026
Feral Fatale Star & Writer Nadya Ginsburg: "Thanks For Coming."
Dennis is joined via Zoom by his friend Nadya Ginsburg to talk about her latest one-person show Feral Fatal, which is hitting LA, New York and the Berkshires in July. The show features her genius imitations of Cher and Madonna but also has plenty of surprises, including a lovely Tom Waits song as well as some thoughtful musings about how we're all just primates. She also talks about getting sober and how it's changed her attitude about her work, caretaking for her elderly parents and waiting tables in NYC. Nadya and Dennis also talk about the recent three-show run of Dennis's first play The Point of Pinecones, which Nadya played multiple roles in, and explore the topic of creativity and inspiration, generally. And yes, Dennis cries.
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Actor-Writer-Producer Paul Witten (You Are Here): "My Pinky Is So Extended And I’m Guzzling"
06/18/2026
Actor-Writer-Producer Paul Witten (You Are Here): "My Pinky Is So Extended And I’m Guzzling"
Actor-Writer-Producer Paul Witten (You Are Here): "My Pinky Is So Extended And I’m Guzzling" Dennis is joined via Zoom by Paul Witten, the creator and star of a new TV pilot called You Are Here, which is having its world premier on June 20th at the Dances With Films festival in Los Angeles. The story centers on a 50-something gay man in Los Angeles and three of his friends who all feel like they're still unfinished in a way. Maybe their lives haven't turned out the way they expected but they have much to be thankful for and, as the title says, they are here. Paul talks about what inspired him to create the show and then make it happen, the joy of working with friends and managing expectations when you put something big out in to the world. He also talks about his work on shows like Brooklyn 99, The Residence and The Morning Show. Other topics include: being single and being okay with it except at certain times, why working on a Shondaland show is magical, why cater-waiters deserve to not be punchlines, the significance of the title You Are Here and which is better, Diet Coke or Coke Zero. https://danceswithfilms.com/2026-you-are-here/
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Filmmaker Elliot Tuttle (Blue Film): "I Wanted The Film To Feel Like An Echo Chamber of Perversion"
06/11/2026
Filmmaker Elliot Tuttle (Blue Film): "I Wanted The Film To Feel Like An Echo Chamber of Perversion"
Dennis is joined via Zoom by writer-director Elliot Tuttle to talk about his debut feature Blue Film, which is about a 20-something camboy who takes a lot of money to spend the night with an anonymous client, who ends up being a former school teacher and convicted sex offender from his small hometown. Elliot talks about why he wanted to tell this story, the knockout performances he got from his two actors, Reed Birney and Keiron Moore, keeping the budget low so he could total creative freedom and why he chose to use old camcorder footage as a visual motif in the film. Other topics include: Elliot working at Dennis's favorite L.A. revival house Vidiots, the role an intimacy coordinator played in the project, how he got to know and become mentored by indie film icon Mark Duplass and the movie review website he launched when he was ten.
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Filmmaker Linus O'Brien (Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror): "It's Been The Great Joy Of My Life"
06/04/2026
Filmmaker Linus O'Brien (Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror): "It's Been The Great Joy Of My Life"
Dennis is join via Zoom by Linus O'Brien to discuss his new documentary Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror, a joyful and inspiring recounting of the journey of the cultural juggernaut that is The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Linus's father Richard O'Brien created the original show and played Riff Raff both on stage and in the movie and watching father and son interact in the film and try to make sense of what Rocky means to the world is fascinating, funny and quite moving. Linus talks about getting the whole gang back together to talk about the movie (pretty much everyone's still alive but Meat Loaf), the undeniable star quality of Tim Curry as Frank-N-Furter, Susan Sarandon wise and wonderful sound bytes and why he thinks the film never really courted much controversy, even though its themes of sexual and gender liberation are right there front and center. Other topics include: the emotional reactions he's gotten from fans and shadowcast members, the movie theater owner in Portland who played the movie every Friday night during the pandemic so its record as the longest-running movie wouldn't end, his favorite moments in the film, the one souvenir from the movie his father kept from Rocky and what it's like to have the name Linus (Spoiler alert: he loves it).
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Chico's Angels stars Oscar Quintero, Danny Casillas & Kurt Koehler: "Oh, That Chita, She Never Learns."
05/28/2026
Chico's Angels stars Oscar Quintero, Danny Casillas & Kurt Koehler: "Oh, That Chita, She Never Learns."
Dennis connects via Zoom with his friends Oscar Quintero, Danny Casillas & Kurt Koehler to talk about the return of their long-running drag comedy-musical Chico's Angels 2: Love Boat Chicas, which returns to the Cavern Club Theater this June. The trio talk about what audiences can expect from this installment--Disco music! Forbidden love! Charo!--how drag has changed since they started doing the show over 20 years ago, why the Angels never curse and their favorite moments in the show. They also talk about what doing the show means to them now, the fans who come back again and again and that time an audience member threw up...but the show continued on. Other topics include: Kurt telling his A-list co-stars in the Oppenheimer green room about Chico's, the trouble with drag and shoes, sharing an actor (Sebastian Dino) with Dennis's Fringe play The Point of Pinecones and the Charlie's Angels 50th Anniversary Paley Center event they attended recently. They also all take part in a Love Boat trivia quiz Dennis prepared especially for them and do, well, okay. www.kaysedia.com
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Author Peter J. Cervantes (The Road Back to Me): "Part Of Me Wanted To Just Not Die, Right?"
05/21/2026
Author Peter J. Cervantes (The Road Back to Me): "Part Of Me Wanted To Just Not Die, Right?"
In this episode, Dennis connects via Zoom with Peter Cervantes to talk about his book The Road Back to Me: Six Sacred Tools for Queer Healing Through Shadow, Breath, and Truth, in which he shares his journey from severe physical and mental health crises to healing through therapy, meditation, breath work, EMDR, shadow work and more. He also talks about having severe heart palpitations and anxiety attacks and going into intense therapy because he felt that the only other option was death. Other topics include: dealing with intergenerational trauma, feeling the need to hide his artistic side growing up in order to appease his father, the partner who stuck by him through it all, being the first-generation son of Mexican-American immigrants and how that affected his journey and what it means to him to have the book out in the world. www.peterjcervantes.com
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Photographer Brian Aris (Celebrating George): "This Is The Guy Who Taught Us How To Pose"
05/14/2026
Photographer Brian Aris (Celebrating George): "This Is The Guy Who Taught Us How To Pose"
Dennis is joined by renowned British photographer Brian Aris to discuss his new book Celebrating George: Three Decades which showcases the many photographs Brian took of George Michael throughout his career. Brian talks about the first time he shot George, as part of Wham, at the end of a day that included earlier shoots with Billy Joel and Mick Jagger. He also talks about why George was one of his favorite subjects to shoot, the love he feels from the "George Michael Lovelies" who attend his book events and the intentionality that George brought to all his photo sessions. Other topics include: shooting the group photo at Band Aid, how Debbie Harry changed the trajectory of his career, where he likes to stand when he's shooting concert shots, the American rocker who defaced his favorite backdrop and his earliest memories of photography.
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Olivia DuFault, Elena Luo and Griffin Kelly (For Want of a Horse): "This Has Ruined Me For Other Plays"
05/07/2026
Olivia DuFault, Elena Luo and Griffin Kelly (For Want of a Horse): "This Has Ruined Me For Other Plays"
Dennis is joined via Zoom by three of the artists behind the Echo Theater Company's new play For Want of a Horse; playwright Olivia DuFault, director Elena Luo and actor Griffin Kelly. The play is about a romantic and sexual triangle between a married couple and Q-Tip (played by Kelly) who happens to be a horse. Olivia talks about the New York Magazine article that first inspired her to write the play, the range of emotions she felt reading it and what it's like to receive emails after the show from people who identify as zoophiles. Elena talks about what drew her to the project as a director, the reactions she's noticed in the audience and how working on such a unique, edgy project has ruined her for other plays. Griffin talks about spending time with horses to prepare for her role, Q-tip's obsession with apples and how she approached the more intimate scenes. Other topics include: the limits of empathy, the difference between zoophilia and beastiality, why they love theater and the moments from the journey they'll never forget. https://www.echotheatercompany.com/
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Actor-Writer Michael McHale (Searching For Robert Hennessey): "I Would Just Look For Magical Things All The Time"
04/30/2026
Actor-Writer Michael McHale (Searching For Robert Hennessey): "I Would Just Look For Magical Things All The Time"
Dennis is joined via Zoom by actor-writer Michael McHale to talk about his one-person show Searching For Robert Hennessey, which recounts the decades-long search Michael went on for his biological father after his single mother told him the man's name on his 18th birthday. It's an odyssey that involves making out with a guy he met at the Eagle and discovering they may be related, spending years in--and then escaping from--a Christian cult, being diagnosed with HIV/AID and never giving up the hunt, although he wanted to many times. Michael also talks about what it was like to grow up in the projects in Boston, working with Ben Affleck and Michelle Pfeiffer, turning to standup comedy to help him fight AIDS and how he manages to stay sunny in a world with so many clouds. Other topics include: taking his show to the Edinburgh Fringe this summer, blowing the whistle on his sexual abusive uncle, why people should get on Ancestry.com, his book And Hubby Makes Three: A Tragically Fabulous Love Story, his upcoming holiday film Death Takes and Jolliday and why, when he got down to four T cells, he decided to name them Candy, Brandy, Sandy and Dandy.
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Singer-Author Mike Maimone (Guess What? I Love You): "When I Have To Sing Sweet Caroline, A Part Of My Soul Escapes Through My Nose"
04/23/2026
Singer-Author Mike Maimone (Guess What? I Love You): "When I Have To Sing Sweet Caroline, A Part Of My Soul Escapes Through My Nose"
In this episode, Dennis is joined via Zoom by singer-songwriter and author Mike Maimone to talk about his new memoir--as well as its companion album--both called Guess What? I Love You, which documents the most extraordinary year of his life. A few years back, Mike met the well-known Hollywood publicist Howard Bragman on Scruff and within a few messages, they both knew it was something real. A whirlwind long-distance romance ensued and soon they were getting a place together in Nashville, where Mike then lived, and talking about their dream wedding. But within a year of that first Scruff message, Howard was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia and passed away soon after. It's quite a journey and Mike writes about all of it in the book. In the interview, Mike talks about the process of writing the book, the times when he feels Howard is still with him and the lessons he feels he was meant to take from the whole whirlwind experience. Other topics include: when he first fell in love with music, the two books Howard gave him early in their courtship (The Ethical Slut and The Rational Guide to Living), Howard's settling a beef with Paula Abdul before he passed, what the cake pops on the book cover mean and why he doesn't love singing "Sweet Caroline" during wedding gigs. https://www.mikemaimone.com/
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Playwright Gabe Rivas Gomez (Level Up!): "I Should Not Let My Words Get In The Way Of The Play"
04/16/2026
Playwright Gabe Rivas Gomez (Level Up!): "I Should Not Let My Words Get In The Way Of The Play"
Dennis is joined via Zoom by Gabe Rivas Gomez, the writer of the visually stunning and very moving new play Level Up! which is about a trans tween named Desi whose quest to be who she really is takes her into a spectacular and dangerous video game world. Gabe talks about where the original inspiration came from, finding the trans actress to play Desi, Mathias Brinda, several workshop productions ago and watching her grow up before his eyes and the technical challenges of trying to depict a video game on stage. He also talks about producing this show at a time when trans youth are under attack and what the reactions from audiences have been like so far. Other topics include: Gabe's career as a college professor and whether today's kids really are alright, taking inspiration from the book Ready Player One, what his own kids think of the show, his obsession with Lego and why some scenes just have to hurt. https://www.latinotheaterco.org/levelup
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Bookends filmmakers Noam Ash & Mike Doyle ("It Was Like Adult Summer Camp")
04/09/2026
Bookends filmmakers Noam Ash & Mike Doyle ("It Was Like Adult Summer Camp")
Dennis is joined via Zoom by the duo behind the new gay comedy Bookends, writer-star Noam Ash and director Mike Doyle. Bookends tells the story of an aspiring writer named Nate whose life in Manhattan falls apart and he ends up moving in with his grandparents--played by Oscar-winner F. Murray Abraham and Caroline Aaron--in their retirement community. Noam talks about how the story was inspired by his own experience living with his grandparents, what he learned from the experience and what his grandparents--who both passed away in their 90's before the film was shot--would think of the finished movie. Mike talks about how he came to be involved with the project, how he sees it as a privilege to get to tell stories and the exchange he had with F. Murray Abraham on set that he'll never forget. Other topics include: the flowery shirt Noam wears in the film that everyone loves, the terror of driving a stick shift, senior citizens who love Speedos and what it's like to have your own costume designer reject all the wardrobe options you brought from home.
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Dennis Hensley's Happy & Gay Crossover Episode: Oscars Schmoscars
04/02/2026
Dennis Hensley's Happy & Gay Crossover Episode: Oscars Schmoscars
In this episode, Dennis recounts the recent MisMatch Game: Bad Luck of the Irish Friday the 13th Edition, shooting pre-Oscar interview with host Conan O’Brien, attending the early morning taping of Live with Kelly & Mark at the Dolby Theater on the day after the Oscars, and have the first-ever table reading of his first-ever play Trade-Offs and crying through much of it. At the cinema, Dennis catches the new movies Nirvanna the Band The Show The Movie and Project Hail Mary, both of which he loved, and revisited an oldie Grease 2, which is a musical virtually devoid of singers, but still fun. He also talks about the stage shows Sweet Charity and Monkeys on My Back and Everywhere Else and Darren Hayes’ Oscar night concert at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. In the Happiness chunk, Dennis talks about the good vibes he felt watching the Oscars and why he thinks Teyana Taylor has got it all figured out.
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Author Mark Malkoff (Love Johnny Carson): "Johnny Was a Comfort"
03/26/2026
Author Mark Malkoff (Love Johnny Carson): "Johnny Was a Comfort"
In this episode, Dennis is joined by author Mark Malkoff to talk about his book Love Johnny Carson about the iconic Tonight Show host and what made him an American institution. Mark talks about how he first became obsessed with Carson as a kid, conducting 400 interviews for his book, celebrities whose careers were made by Carson like Bette Midler, David Letterman and The Potato Chip Lady and what Carson was like off-camera. He also talks about Carson's career before the Tonight Show, his problems with drinking, his progressive attitudes around race and homosexuality and why Dana Carvey's SNL impression of him really got under his skin and contributed to his decision to retirn. Other topics include: a blow-by-blow breakdown of Johnny's rift with Joan Rivers, the power of asking, the emotions that came up during his 400-plus interviews, Johnny's tennis temper and what Johnny Carson meant to America.
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Writer-Performer Mike Albo (Hologram Boyfriends, Unitard): "It’s Hard to Find Someone Who Is Ready To Sit There"
03/18/2026
Writer-Performer Mike Albo (Hologram Boyfriends, Unitard): "It’s Hard to Find Someone Who Is Ready To Sit There"
Dennis is joined via Zoom by writer-performer Mike Albo to talk about his new audio original Hologram Boyfriends as well as his upcoming appearance as one-third of the comedy troupe Unitard at the Cavern Club Theater in Silver Lake (March 20-22). Hologram Boyfriends, from McMilan audio, is a series of personal essays about love, sex and connection before and after the advent of the smartphone. Mike talks about why he wanted to the examine the topic, the process of writing and recording it and how once he committed to do it, all these weird things started happening to him. He also talks why Unitard, which also features Nora Burns and David Ilku, are still going strong after over 20 years. Other topics include: his failed attempts--so far--to get the domain name MikeAlbo.com back from the greedy entity who ended up with it, his meditation and chanting practices, spontaneously performing his iconic Underminer character for Tommy Hilfiger and his wife in Palm Beach, the sweet, shameful days of Manhunt.com and why he wouldn't mind ending up like Emmylou Harris.
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THE YEAR IN MOVIES 2025 Part 2 w/ Queer Review Senior Film Critic Glenn Gaylord and actor-writer-film lover Drew Droege
03/12/2026
THE YEAR IN MOVIES 2025 Part 2 w/ Queer Review Senior Film Critic Glenn Gaylord and actor-writer-film lover Drew Droege
Once again, Dennis is joined via Zoom by Glenn Gaylord, Senior Film Critic at The Queer Review and star of the YouTube channel Glenn Hates Everything and actor-writer-film enthusiast Drew Droege to talk about the movies of 2025. Part 1 was last week. Here's Part 2 and the films discussed include: Song Sung Blue, Hamnet, Blue Sun Palace, Before We Forget, It Was Just an Accident, The Parenting, A Nice Indian Boy, Sirat, Friendship, A Night Like This, Pee-wee As Himself, Lurker, Marty Supreme, The Naked Gun, Wicked: For Good, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Sentimental Value, F1, Superman, Bugonia, Dust Bunny, Peter Hujar’s Day, Dead Man’s Wire, Companion, Enigma, My Mom Jayne, Strange Journey and Come See Me In the Good Light.
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THE YEAR IN MOVIES 2025 Part 1 w/ film critic Glenn Gaylord and actor-writer-film lover Drew Droege
03/05/2026
THE YEAR IN MOVIES 2025 Part 1 w/ film critic Glenn Gaylord and actor-writer-film lover Drew Droege
Once again, Dennis is joined via Zoom by Glenn Gaylord, Senior Film Critic at The Queer Review and star of the YouTube channel Glenn Hates Everything and actor-writer-film enthusiast Drew Droege to talk about the movies of 2025. The films discussed include Ella McCay, Twinless, Weapons, Plainclothes, The Baltimorons, Final Destination: Bloodlines, Materialists, Rent Free, The Secret Agent, Sorry Baby, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Bring Her Back, The Long Walk, The Plague, One of Them Days, The Mastermind, Rebuilding, Wake Up Dead Man, The History of Sound and One Battle After Another. Drew also talks about his recent triumphant off-Broadway run, starring in Messy White Gays, a play he wrote, and the amazing thing audience member Hillary Clinton said to him backstage after the show.
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The Fivesome from the play FOURSOME play "You Don't Know My Life!"
02/26/2026
The Fivesome from the play FOURSOME play "You Don't Know My Life!"
In this episode, Dennis is joined by the director and cast of the new play Foursome, which is currently running at the Atwater Village Theatre in Los Angeles. The play is about two couples who head to a mountain cabin for a New Years getaway and let's just say...the play isn't called Foursome for nothing. The show's director Tom DeTrinis as well as the cast, which includes Matthew Scott Montgomery (who is also the show's playwright), Jimin Moon, Adrián Javier and Calvin Seabrooks join Dennis for a game of You Don't Know My Life! featuring these two Foursome-inspired questions: You’re writing an article called “A Weekend Getaway I’ll Never Forget” based on an experience from your life. What happens in it? and What kiss from your life felt like something out of a movie? The gang also talk about what they love about the show and playing their respective characters, the audience reactions so far and the show's unique mix of laugh-out-loud comedy and lump-in-the-throat drama.
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Singer-Actor David Hernandez ("Beautiful 2.0"): "It's Always a F%$#-ing Shane"
02/19/2026
Singer-Actor David Hernandez ("Beautiful 2.0"): "It's Always a F%$#-ing Shane"
In this episode, Dennis is joined by singer, actor and American Idol alum David Hernandez to talk about his new single and video "Beautiful 2.0," which features trans artist Mila Jam. David talks about his inspiration for re-recording the song, which he wrote and released in 2016, working with his former Harlem roommate Mila Jam, and how he feels much more comfortable on camera now than he did in 2016. He also talks his stint on American Idol in 2008, his favorite memory from the show, being on the same season as fellow out singer David Archuleta, how it blew up his life and the Idol connection that helped get him back on track. He also discusses his forays into acting, playing a serial killer in the Tubi horror movie Glamping. Other topics include: what he's learned about himself since getting sober a few years ago, his favorite Idol memory, appearing in Naked Boys Singing, his relationship to his voice, his "really weird childhood" and how it felt to get naked and pay homage to D'Angelo's "How Does It Feel" in his musical video "Special."
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Playwright Robert Axelrod ("Lifeline"): It Is Hard Work To Help People"
02/12/2026
Playwright Robert Axelrod ("Lifeline"): It Is Hard Work To Help People"
Dennis is joined via Zoom by playwright Robert Axelrod to discuss his new play Lifeline, which is a dramedy about a group of new volunteers at a suicide hotline. It was inspired by Robert's own experience as a volunteer for The Trevor Project hotline. Robert talks about what it was like to volunteer there, the extensive training volunteers go through and he recalls some of his more memorable conversations. He also talks about the importance of collaboration and why he loves to be the dumbest person in the room. Other topics include: the moment he got bitten by the playwriting bug, the ancestral magic of theater, how he approaches writing characters that aren't like him, like a neurodivergent Gen Z-er and a trans woman of color and why showing up at work toting a latte from Starbucks and a scone might rub some co-workers the wrong way.
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Playwright Justin Tanner ("My Son The Playwright"): "I’m A Nicer Person Than I Ever imagined I Was"
02/05/2026
Playwright Justin Tanner ("My Son The Playwright"): "I’m A Nicer Person Than I Ever imagined I Was"
Dennis is joined via Zoom by playwright Justin Tanner whose one-person show, "My Son, the Playwright," is currently running at the Rogue Machine Theatre in Hollywood. Justin talks about his motivation for writing the play, in which he plays a version of his father in Act 1 and a version of himself in 2004 in Act 2. He also talks about how he memorized the 14,000 word script by using a the robotic voice feature in Final Draft as well as an Allison Janney-inspired method involving the first letter of each word. Dennis and Justin also discuss the challenges and opportunities of writing plays compared to other formats, with Justin sharing insights about his early theater career and the impact of sobriety on his work. Other topics include: the theater scene in Los Angeles, how caring for his sick cat changed Justin's perception of himself, whether burnt bridges can ever be rebuilt, the glory days of LA queer gathering places like Cuffs and Basic Plumbing, the connection or lack thereof between the LA theater scene and success in Hollywood and what he thinks his late father would think of My Son the Playwright. https://www.roguemachinetheatre.org/
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Audio Book Narrator Ron Butler (Baldwin: A Love Story): "I Ended The Book, Saved The File and Cried"
01/29/2026
Audio Book Narrator Ron Butler (Baldwin: A Love Story): "I Ended The Book, Saved The File and Cried"
Dennis is joined via Zoom by actor Ron Butler who has narrated hundreds of audiobooks including the current bestseller Baldwin: A Love Story by Nicholas Boggs, which is about the life and loves of the iconic queer writer James Baldwin. Ron talks about how the project came to him, how he approached doing Baldwin's voice and getting so emotional at the end of the process that he cried. He also talks about how the business of audiobook narrating works, from how he gets paid to the prep work that happens before to the sexy little home booth he bought for himself right before the pandemic. Other topics include: the Heated Rivalry-esque gay romances he's narrated Illegal Contact (football studs) and Dirty Steal (baseball studs), making the move to Palm Springs, growing up in the Bahamas as the son of Bahamanian musician and club owner Ron Butler Sr, leaving his post-college corporate job to pursue acting, playing a breakdancing Barack Obama on Jimmy Kimmel in 2007 and the queer coming of age book that brought him to tears in the recording booth. https://www.ronniebutler.com/
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The Cast of ADAM & STEVE ESCAPE FROM MAGA play You Don't Know My Life!
01/22/2026
The Cast of ADAM & STEVE ESCAPE FROM MAGA play You Don't Know My Life!
For this episode, Dennis is joined via Zoom by the cast of the new film Adam and Steve Escape From MAGA for a rollicking game of You Don't Know My Life! Writer-Director Craig Chester is joined by his cast mates Nora Burns, Nadya Ginsburg, Ned Van Zandt, Madeline Reed, Mélisa Breiner-Sanders, Cary Curran, David Ilku and Michael Musto to answer these two questions: As your film demonstrates, last year was a total shitshow...but what's something good you experienced in 2025? AND You're writing a magazine article entitled My Actor's Nightmare based on an incident from your life. What happens in it? Their surprising and hilarious answers include stories about everything from Chorus Line and Studio 54 reunions to getting horny in Trader Joe's at Christmas to having explosive diarrhea in a bagel shop and turning the story into an audition monologue. Watch Adam & Steve Escape From MAGA here:
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Author Jon Imparato (The Good Inside the Grief): "You Gotta Let Things Fall Away"
01/15/2026
Author Jon Imparato (The Good Inside the Grief): "You Gotta Let Things Fall Away"
Dennis is joined via Zoom by author Jon Imparato to talk about his new memoir The Good Inside the Grief, in which he writes about everything from his Catholic childhood to his challenging relationship with his father to volunteering to man the shaving cart and shaving AIDS patients at the height of the pandemic. Jon also talks about the moving and surprising reactions he's gotten to it so far and what it was like to write about such difficult topics as losing three lovers to AIDS, having two difficult heart-to-hearts with his father 45 years apart and getting sexually assaulted by a guy he met in acting class at 19. He also writes about working with gay youth at the LA LGBT Center, teaching writing to queer seniors at Triangle Square in LA and discovering the magic of being in "vagina world" when he booked Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues as his first big show as Director of the Cultural Arts Department of the Center in the late 90's. Other topics include: why he used to call people for two rings and then hang up, the pleasure of Sunday Sauce, befriending a Canadian soldier while traveling in Bali and having it change his life forever, the wisdom of Betty White and a psychic Stevie Nicks story that will blow your mind.
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Writer Bob Merrick (Magnificent Obsession on Substack): "Madonna Was My Mother & Debbie Gibson Was My Older Sister"
01/08/2026
Writer Bob Merrick (Magnificent Obsession on Substack): "Madonna Was My Mother & Debbie Gibson Was My Older Sister"
In this episode, Dennis is joined via Zoom by his friend Bob Merrick who pens the Substack newsletter Magnificent Obsession where shares sweet, sassy and occasional sad stories about everything from his tumultuous childhood and family life, his wide circle of friends and his star-studded misadventures in Hollywood. Bob talks about why he started writing the newsletter, how people have been reacting to it and how it's helped him process some of the more thorny parts of his life. He also shares lots of fun celeb stories, from working in the production office of the Tom Hanks film Cast Away to meeting NSync at the height of their fame and becoming close friends with Lance Bass to appearing in one of exercise icon Richard Simmons' Sweating to the Oldies workout videos...and maybe getting paid for it. Other topics include: how pop culture gave Bob an escape growing up, the importance of forgiveness, Dennis and Bob's first meeting in 2000 and that time Bob got to play foosball on Joey and Chandler's foosball table on the Friends set after hours.
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Dennis Hensley In Conversation with Anna David on the Behind the Book Cover Podcast
12/31/2025
Dennis Hensley In Conversation with Anna David on the Behind the Book Cover Podcast
For this final episode of the year, Dennis flips the script and appears as a guest on the Behind the Book Cover podcast hosted by his friend and past Dennis Anyone guest Anna David. He also weighs in on the miracle that is Heated Rivalry during the So This Happened segment at the end of the episode. Here are the official show notes Anna wrote about the episode: Dennis Hensley was the very first real writer I ever knew—back when getting a book published felt like spotting a unicorn in 1990s LA.His debut novel Misadventures in the (213) came out in 1998, and I thought it was the coolest thing imaginable. Years later, we'd find ourselves sweating through Ben Allen's dance classes together, proving that creative people really do wear all the hats. Dennis has written for everyone from Joan Rivers to Wondery podcasts, created party games and somehow made more money dancing in commercials than writing this year. Our conversation (recorded the day before his 61st birthday) goes deep on resilience, disappointment and figuring out how to keep creating when the scoreboard stops making sense. Topics Discussed: The 1990s writing gold rush: When Gen X believed you could actually make a living as a writer, gift bags overflowed at parties. and magazines paid $1 per word Breaking in: How an audition rejection for Madonna's Blonde Ambition tour became Dennis's first published article, leading to gigs at Movieline, Detour and beyond Writing for free (for three years): The unglamorous hustle behind Misadventures in the (213), including interviewing Carrie Fisher in her bed and scoring a gym membership through barter The 2013 Fashion Police strike: How standing up for freelance writers' pay during the Writers Guild organizing effort traumatized Dennis, cost him his best friend/roommate and triggered a health crisis that changed everything Rehab for disappointment: Dennis's raw account of hospitalization, thinking he'd "die of disappointment" and the long road through somatic therapy, meditation and redefining success Changing how you keep score: Why tracking wins vs. losses will destroy you, and how Dennis learned to measure creative life by "who I'm being" rather than what he's getting The game that almost was: Pitching "You Don't Know My Life!" to Jason Bateman's production company, feeling good about the pitches, getting rejected—and being sad for only five seconds "Everything is impossible, so anything is possible": Life lessons from artist Stephanie Elizondo Griest and why trying matters more than outcomes Dancing pays better than writing: How Dennis made more money this year from Vegas commercials than his writing career, and why he's okay with that Mentioned: Misadventures in the (213) and Screening Party books Rob Weisbach, Detour, Movieline, Fashion Police "You Don't Know My Life!" party game Podcasts: Dennis, Anyone? and Dennis Hensley's Happy and Gay Ben Allen's Group Three dance class (RIP the Thriller flash mob)
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Visual Artist Nino Alicea (Got Framed, Atabey's Treasure): "My Favorite Part Is When You See People Enjoying It"
12/25/2025
Visual Artist Nino Alicea (Got Framed, Atabey's Treasure): "My Favorite Part Is When You See People Enjoying It"
In this episode, Dennis is joined via Zoom by visual artist & production designer Nino Alicea whose larger-than-life installations Got Framed and Atebay's Treasure are currently on display in San Francisco's Embarcadero as part of the city's year-long Big Art Loop initiative. Nino talks about the inspiration for both pieces. Got Framed, with it's 91 roses, is inspired by his grandmother Rosamelia and Atabey's Treasure is a tribute to Nino's homeland of Puerto Rico and the challenges it face after Hurricane Maria. Both pieces, as well as several others, were initially created for Burning Man, where Nino has mounted several pieces over the last decade. Nino talks about the moment over ten years ago where, after a week at Burning Man, he pledged to himself that he would have an installation at next year's festival, even though he had little idea how he would pull that off. With the help of a small army of fellow artisans and at least on engineer, he did it...and he's been going back every year. Nino also talks about getting to create props for Ricky Martin's "All In" Las Vegas residency and world tour and how that opportunity came because he was in the right place at the right time and "just said yes" when the possibility was suggested to him. Other topics include: that time he spent a month making over a hurricane-damaged basketball court in Puerto Rico, the steps one must take to get a piece into Burning Man, why the best part of his work is all the people he gets to work with, that "Oh shit" moment at Burning Man when he realized he didn't have enough screws, how he used recycled pizza tins for the fish gills on Atabey's Treasure and that time Nino went viral with a comedic video sketch in a stage show Dennis co-hostened that would probably get them both cancelled today. www.leaveittonino.com
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2025 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE Part 2 w/ Scott Williams & Cam Clarke
12/11/2025
2025 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE Part 2 w/ Scott Williams & Cam Clarke
In Part 2 of his annual Holiday Gift Guide, Dennis talks to creative entrepreneurs Scott Willams and Cam Clarke. Scott discovered a passion for ceramics during the pandemic and has since launched a side business called SEW Ceramics, based in Cambria, California. His Strata line of clay lamps are his most popular items to date. Each is one-of-a-kind because, as Scott quips, "I couldn't duplicate them if I tried." Scott talks about how getting his hands dirty has served as an escape from the stresses of modern life, the crafty grandmother who inspired his artistic side and how he comes up with cool names for his lamps, like Astra, Flint and Lumen. https://www.sewceramics.com/ Next up is Cam Clarke, the man behind the gorgeous new coffee table book Now They're All Here about The King Family of entertainers, which Cam is a member of. Cam reveals the slightly petty reason he took on the project, the discoveries he made along the way and what having the family's life and career documented in this way has meant to his relatives. He also talks about his career as a performer and voice-over artist (he was the OG voice of Leonardo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!) and recalls the moment when he was 6 years-old and demonstrated a flair for the fabulous on live TV. https://camclarke.com/
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2025 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE Part 1 w/ Jackie Beat & Brian Gryphon
12/06/2025
2025 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE Part 1 w/ Jackie Beat & Brian Gryphon
In Part 1 of his annual Holiday Gift Guide, Dennis talks to creative entrepreneurs Jackie Beat and Brian Gryphon. First up, is drop dead gorgeous, larger than life, world famous drag superstar Jackie Beat who, earlier this year, happened upon an artistic side-hustle in the most unlikely of places: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market. The discount store was selling 12" by 12" art prints featuring an oddly-hued rainbow over the word "Together." Jackie found the image both tacky and earnest so she bought a bunch of them and turned them into subversive, one-of-kind art pieces that say things like Let’s spitroast a twink together, Let’s have anonymous sex together, Let’s be super gay together, Let’s like dogs more than people together and many more. She also takes commissions where she'll put whatever you want on there. E-mail her directly to buy and inquire at And to learn about where you can catch her Christmas show, visit: Dennis's second guest, Brian Gryphon, is a graphic designer who, among his many creations, has designed a fabulous deck of oracle cards inspired by the pioneering queer musical duo Romanovsky and Phillips. Each hexagon-shaped card features a different R&P lyric, chosen to help you along your way. Brian talks about how he first became a fan of the duo, getting to know them in real life and why their music speaks to him. He also talks about his need to express himself and does so in a way that resonates with Dennis and so many past Dennis Anyone guests. Brian's need to create is something he can't deny, so he often asks himself the question: "I have to create it. Can I be happy with not sharing it?" To learn more about Brian and order his oracle decks and other offerings, visit
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