Opening Act

On Opening Act, some of Black Hollywood faves recount stories from their very first gig, big or small, and share how that single opportunity made them who they are today. Opening Act is a podcast hosted by Shadow And Act’s Deputy Editor, Trey Mangum and features behind-the-scenes stories of how these actors got introduced into film and television.

Jordan Calloway on 'Fire Country,' Playing Superheros and Real-Life Heroes 10/11/2022

Amirah Vann Talks 'A Jazzman's Blues' and Reflects on 'Underground' and 'HTGAWM' 09/22/2022

Syreeta Singleton on Working With Issa Rae and What's Next For Their Hit Show 'Rap Sh!t' 09/10/2022

MeKai Curtis On 'Power Book III: Raising Kanan' Season 2, Fan Theories And Going From Disney to Starz 08/02/2022

Kadeem Hardison Talks New Series 'Moonhaven,' Reflects on 'A Different World' Almost 30 Years After Last Episode 07/14/2022

Emmy Raver-Lampman Talks New Film 'Gatlopp' and 'The Umbrella Academy' Season 3 06/30/2022

Simone Missick on 'All Rise' Being Rescued by OWN and Revitalizing the Legal Drama 06/16/2022

Sasha Lane on 'Conversations With Friends' and Going From Indie to the MCU's 'Loki' 06/02/2022

Ron Cephas Talks About the Legacy of 'This Is Us' and His Recent Tony Nomination 05/20/2022

Javicia Leslie On Playing a Superhero and What She's Looking Forward to Next 05/06/2022

Brian Tyree Henry Breaks Down The White Fashion' Episode of 'Atlanta' and Cultural Theft 04/22/2022

Jabari Banks Talks 'Bel-Air' Season 1, Season 2 Hopes and His Journey So Far 04/07/2022

Ludacris On 'Karma's World' and If He Thought His Career Would Always Look Like This 03/24/2022

Sheryl Lee Ralph On ‘Abbott Elementary’ Changing TV, Broadway’s new Era and The ‘Moesha’ Legacy 03/10/2022

Corbin Bleu On Winning 'The Real Dirty Dancing,' Returning to 'High School Musical' and More 02/24/2022

Brandy Talks Career Longevity and Her 'Queens' Touring Hopes 02/17/2022

Nicole Ari Parker Talks 'And Just Like That...' and the Evolution of Black Stories 12/30/2021

Tyler Lepley On 'Harlem,' 'P-Valley' and Mirroring Real-Life Experiences In His Work 12/16/2021

Wesley Snipes On 'True Story,' The 'Blade-Killer' Project He's Working On and More 12/02/2021

Paula Patton Talks 'Sacrifice,' Playing Legal Eagles And Why She Loves Multiple Genres 11/18/2021

Jay Ellis On The Legacy Of ‘Insecure’ and Making TV That Sticks With You 11/11/2021

William Jackson Harper On 'Love Life' and Showing All Facets Of Blackness On-Screen 10/21/2021

Brett Gray On Manifesting 'On My Block' And Why It's All About The Journey 10/07/2021

Ashley Blaine Featherson-Jenkins On The Final Season Of 'Dear White People' And Her Next Chapter 09/23/2021

Mack Wilds Revisits Early Projects and Talks About Being A Part of Broadway History 09/09/2021

Michael Evans Behling On 'All American,' Career Goals And 5AM 08/26/2021

Erika Alexander On Black Women-Led Comedies, Investing in Black Creatives and Being Our Own Superheroes 08/06/2021

Daveed Diggs On The Second Wave of ‘Hamilton’ and Bringing ‘Blindspotting’ to TV 07/22/2021

Luke James Talks Balancing Music and Acting, Powerful ‘The Chi’ Storylines and More 07/08/2021

Keith Powers On 'The Tomorrow War,' His First Job and Comedy Series Ambitions 06/24/2021