There is nobody on the planet quite like Steffi D. In so many ways she is like the second coming of Liza Minnelli in that she is a powerhouse of musical and acting talent that is rarely seen on stage or screen. She has IMDB list as long as my arm (including major series + films like Chucky, Umbrella Academy, and Stage Fright) and a musical theatre resume that is both prolific and growing. She was a top 5 finalist on Canadian Idol which lead her to tour with the first national Broadway tour of Spring Awakening, and originated the role of Janice in the Broadway smash hit “Come From Away”. She also (takes a second to dab on my haters) is an old student of mine, a profoundly kind person, and an absolute delight to talk to. This episode is full of gigantic opinions (from both of us), major life questions, and lots of laughs. Can’t wait for you to dive in.

Find Steffi: 
Instagram: @steffid5

Produced by: @daliayegavian @breewas
 Associate Producer: @jonelle.gunderson 
 Special Thanks: @comefromaway @comefromawayto @mcnallykennedyacting @mirvishproductions
 Coffee and Snacks: @impactkitchen (not a sponsor, we just pop in every podcast and love these guys)

Sara Garcia has been gracing your screens—and ears (she’s also a very successful voiceover artist)—for years, with prominent and leading roles on Ride, The Flash, X Company, and Reign, among countless others. She’s currently reaching new heights in the leading role of Jennifer Morales on NBC’s The Hunting Party.

Sara’s journey through life and into professional acting is truly unique, taking her all around the world only to arrive back at her love of performing—a much richer and wiser human because of it. This was a phenomenal conversation about where she began, her exploration of both the world and herself, and how she ultimately found her way to this moment in her career.

Sara is a grounded, internally evolved, and deeply wise artist in the most holistic sense, and I know you’re going to get a lot out of this one. So dive on in. Thanks for being here.

Find Sara: 
Instagram: @Sara.alicia.garcia TikTok: @sara.alicia.g

Produced by: @daliayegavian @breewas
 Associate Producer: @jonelle.gunderson 
 Special Thanks: @nbcuniversal @nbc


Coffee and Snacks: @impactkitchen (not a sponsor, we just pop in every podcast and love these guys)

Evan Stern is basically the human embodiment of talent, opinion, and relentless charisma. The dude is one of the funniest actors out there, with a mastery of physical comedy that few can match. This episode is a deep dive into his iconic performance as Stuart on the hit show, Letterkenny, as well as all the successes and failures that came before and after. This conversation is wild, folks. We pulled any thread that came to us, leading from spicy takes to insights on life and acting, to jokes, to more spice. I’ve always been a fan of Evan, so getting to sit down with him like this was a genuine delight. I know you’re going to love this one as much as I loved filming it, so dive on in.

Oh! He’s also one half of a new podcast he co-hosts with @michellemylett called @SparePartsPodcast, so check that out after ours! It’s hilarious and insightful. Big fan.

Find Evan: 
Instagram: @evanjstern TikTok: @evanjstern Spare Parts Podcast: @SparePartsPodcast

Produced by: @daliayegavian @breewas
 Associate Producer: @akisharei @jonelle.gunderson 
 Special Thanks: @michellemylett @avatarfrontiers @ubisoftcanada @letterkennyproblems
Coffee and Snacks: @impactkitchen (not a sponsor, we just pop in every podcast and love these guys)

Lara Jean is what I’d call a “capital A Actor.” She’s been profoundly successful across both stage and screen, and whether you know her from her unforgettable turn as Freddie Lounds on NBC’s Hannibal, or from any of the other roles she’s carved out across an illustrious career (Chucky, The King Tide, Nightmare Alley, Designated Survivor, X Company, Antiviral, to name just a few), it’s clear she’s something special.

I first met LJ when she starred in a feature I produced (Nose to Tail), and I remember being struck immediately by her professionalism, focus, and sheer depth of talent. She’s one of those actors who's somehow both meticulously prepared and utterly willing to lean into whatever the moment presents to her in a take. In this pod I found in her someone deeply collaborative and refreshingly open—willing to speak about process, training, personal challenges, and the flaws that can make us who we are. LJ is profoundly in touch with herself, and after we wrapped I genuinely could have talked with her for hours.

To me, this conversation is a holistic exploration of what it really means to live as an actor. I’m proud of this one. Dive in.

Find Lara Jean: 
Instagram: @larajeanc_

Produced by: @daliayegavian @breewas
 Associate Producer: @akisharei @jonelle.gunderson 


Special Thanks: @mraaronabrams @nosetotailfilm @stratfest @therealedavid 
Coffee and Snacks: @impactkitchen (not a sponsor, we just pop in every podcast and love these guys)

Dalmar Abuzeid is one of the stars of the iconic series Degrassi: The Next Generation and the deeply moving Anne with an E—among many, many other credits. What I’ve admired most about Dalmar, long before this episode, is how profoundly thoughtful he is. He takes both life and craft seriously, but never pretentiously—he’s measured, grounded, and endlessly curious about the work.

Talking with him always pushes me to reexamine what I believe about acting and to approach things from new and unexpected angles. Dalmar brings a rare combination of ambition, humility, and wisdom to everything he does, and that devotion to growth shows up in every word of this conversation.

I learned a lot from our talk, and I know you will too. So dive on in—Dalmar’s the real deal, and a legend in the making.

Find Dalmar: 
Instagram: @dalmarabuzeid

Produced by: @daliayegavian @breewas
 Associate Producer: @akisharei @jonelle.gunderson 
 Special Thanks: @raymondablack @degrassi @annewithane @annetheseries @cbcgem @cbc 
 Coffee and Snacks: @impactkitchen (not a sponsor, we just pop in every podcast and love these guys)

Sara Mitich is one of the stars of the hit series Star Trek Discovery (where she played two different characters over the show’s run). She also happens to be one of the best actors and people I know. I’ve been working with Sara for years, as a client, colleague, and collaborator.

Her talent and ability to mine complex, dark emotions is formidable. She’s always game to go deeper—to dive into the intensity of a moment or the challenge of a scene—and she brings that same mindset to her personal life. That commitment to inner work led her to create Gratitude and Growth, a coaching practice that helps people all over the world cultivate gratitude, awareness, and emotional resilience.

She is courageous in all manners of her life and it was a real delight to go deep with her in this conversation. Sara’s a special actor and person, so dive on in and experience her wisdom, intelligence, and depth first hand.

Instagram: @saramitich 
Website: gratitudegrowth.com YouTube: www.youtube.com/@GratitudeGrowthPodcast The G&G Podcast: Gratitude & Growth Podcast

Produced by: @daliayegavian @breewas 
Associate Producer: @akisharei @jonelle.gunderson 
 Special Thanks: @gratitudeandgrowth__ @startrek @saban_films 
 Coffee and Snacks: @impactkitchen (not a sponsor, we just pop in every podcast and love these guys)

#SaraMitich #StarTrekDiscovery #GratitudeAndGrowth #Netflix #Acting #ActingTips #Podcast #theDNApodcast #dnybackact

A Juilliard-trained dancer, star of The Next Step, Netflix’s Tiny Pretty Things, Fear Street: Prom Queen, and now a producer and actor on the feature film Loathe Thy Neighbor—it’s clear that Brennan Clost is a multi-talented artist in every sense.

I’m not gonna lie, this conversation was a genuine delight. Brennan is incredibly open about the things that have driven him to succeed at such a high level from such a young age—and the cost of that relentless dedication when it’s pushed him to his limits. From training at Juilliard while filming The Next Step on his summer “breaks,” to having to rebuild himself physically and emotionally in the years that followed, to finding his creative footing again on Tiny Pretty Things—we talk about it all.

So many of the people I admire hold Brennan in the highest regard, and it’s easy to see why. He’s thoughtful, passionate, grounded, and generous in sharing what he’s learned. There’s so much to take away from this conversation, and I’m excited for you to dive in.

Find Brennan:

YouTube: @brennanclost 
Instagram: @breannanclost
 TikTok: @breannanclost

Produced by: @daliayegavian @breewas
 Associate Producer: @akisharei
 Special Thanks: @tinyprettythingsseries @thenextstep @loathethyneighbor 
 Coffee and Snacks: @impactkitchen (not a sponsor, we just pop in every podcast and love these guys)
 Additional Gear Provided By: @mountainmanfilms

#BrennanClost #TheNextStep #TinyPrettyThings #Netflix #Juilliard #FearStreet #LoathThyNeighbor #acting #ActingTips #Podcast #theDNApodcast #dnybackact #DNAPodcast

Ryan George is a YouTube comedian with over 1.8 million subscribers on his personal channel alone. You probably know him for Pitch Meeting and his viral split-screen sketches where he plays all the characters. I’ve been a fan for years—I don’t think there’s a comedian who lampoons the film and TV industry more effectively while never doing it in a mean-spirited way. He’s razor sharp, highly intelligent, and brings a workmanlike consistency to his sketch production that I hugely admire. His writing is sharp, his delivery is masterful, and he’s grown his sketches into a comedy brand emulated all over the internet. In this episode we talk about how he got where he is, his creative process, the origin of his famous catchphrases, and where he wants to go next. If you’re a fan of Ryan, an actor who wants to create your own work, or a creator who wants to sharpen your comedy skills, this episode is for you. I gotta say, chatting with him was… super easy, barely an inconvenience.

Find Ryan:

YouTube: @RyanGeorge Instagram: @theryangeorge TikTok: @theryangeorge

Produced by: @daliayegavian @breewas Associate Producer: @akisharei Special Thanks: @julienolke (for connecting us) @screenrant Additional Gear Provided By: @mountainmanfilms

#RyanGeorge #PitchMeeting #YouTubeComedy #SketchComedy #Acting #Writing #ActingTips #CreateYourOwnWork #Podcast #theDNApodcast #dnybackact #DNAPodcast