Kay Bess is an American voice actor originally from Santa Barbara, CA. She trained in The School of Dramatic Arts BFA Acting Program at The University of Southern California and studied Philosophy at UCLA. She studied Meisner Technique at The Ruskin School in Santa Monica and is a member (on-leave) of The Actor’s Co-op Theater Company in Hollywood.  Kay has worked as a voice actor for nearly 40 years and has been heard on TV and radio commercials too numerous to count. She’s done promos for every major American TV network and a wide variety of cable stations, and is currently the voice of Sinclair Broadcast Group. Kay has voiced video game roles in renowned franchises such as The Last of Us II, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Mass Effect: Andromeda, Agents of MAYHEM, Skylanders: Super Chargers, State of Decay 2, Crackdown 3, Final Fantasy XV, and Fallout 76. Kay has also landed roles in noted animation series such as The Loud House, Spirit Riding Free, and Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts. She is best known as the voice of Ana in the celebrated video game Lara Croft: Rise of the Tomb Raider, and can be heard as the voice of The Starship La Sirena in Star Trek: Picard. She voices President Rosalind Myers in the newly released Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, and Bellroc in WIZARDS, the 3rd installment of Guillermo Del Toro’s epic trilogy, Tales of Arcadia, as well as in Troll Hunters, Rise of the Titans. Kay resides in quaint and quiet Thompson’s Station, TN, just outside Nashville, with her emotionally unstable dog, Stella, and loves communing with the cows, deer, and other wildlife in her neighborhood. On the weekends, she relishes visiting local farms for milk, beef, eggs and vegetables, and otherwise spends entirely too much time inside her head contemplating the meaning of life. Find her everywhere on social media at @kaybess, and her coaching services at trustandbebrave.com. Follow Kay Bess @kaybess on IG Follow Sloane Warren @sloanewarren on IG

Actress Gissette Valentin has been known for her role as ‘Corporal Diane Pierce’ on AMC’s “The Walking Dead: World Beyond,” the limited-series spinoff that follows the first generation raised in the post-apocalyptic world. Gissette’s character is a smart, driven soldier who commands the respect of someone in a much higher position of authority, who is all about the mission, finding a cure and saving the world. To prepare for the role, Gissette created a playlist of what she imagined ‘Diane’ would listen to, which helped her get into character and create a more human side to the mission-driven soldier. Valentin appears on the final season of TNT’s “CLAWS,” in a recurring role as ‘Cherry,’ a cute but tough lipstick lesbian who is a former teammate on ‘Quiet Ann’s’ prison softball team. Gissette can currently be seen as ‘Conscription Officer Dean’ in the Amazon Original Movie “The Tomorrow War,” starring Chris Pratt. She also appears in Ava Duvernay's Origin, Will Trent and The Rookie. And more to come! The Florida native’s love of performing began at the young age of 9, watching Blockbuster VHS rentals such as Paula Abdul’s instructional video “Get Up and Dance” on repeat. Determined to master the art form, Valentin furthered her self-studies of dance via old Gene Kelley movies, and Janet and Michael Jackson music videos, eventually earning a spot on her high school dance team at age 17. Difficult to fathom given her advanced skills, but Gissette did not enroll in her first professional dance classuntil she was 18. After graduation, Gissette relocated to Atlanta to pursue acting studies and fast-tracked her childhood dance passion into an impressive career, working with musical artists such as Luke Bryan, Zach Brown, Sean Paul, Blake Shelton, Arash, The Dream, Keith Sweat, Kellie Pickler and Jennifer Nettles, among others. Valentin showcased her impressive dance abilities in movies such as “Footloose,” “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip” and the Disney Channel movie “Let It Shine,” and on the television shows “Nashville,” “Empire” and “America's Best Dance Crew.” With a plethora of dance credits under her belt, Gissette made a life-altering and self-affirming choice just four years ago when she hung up her professional dance shoes to focus solely on acting and her passion for storytelling. She plunged deeper into dramatic performance, challenged herself and grew as an artist. Valentin soon booked a role on Netflix’s hit series “Ozark,” followed by FOX’s “The Resident,” FOX’s “STAR” and Netflix’s “Raising Dion.” These achievements proved to the entertainer that without risk there is no reward. Valentin is passionate about giving back and using her voice to impact change and create awareness. Causes close to her heart include organizations serving veterans and active military; multiple sclerosis research and treatment; and wildlife/nature conservation organizations, which endeavor to protect and preserve. When she’s not acting, Gissette enjoys reading about growth mindset, practicing yoga, meditation and affirmations, recreational dancing and exploring the outdoors.

His first career was as a visual artist, doing illustrations and commercial art in New York City.  There he designed cartoon characters for Rankin/Bass for their original hit series Thundercats.   While working in animation, Jim realized that being a voice actor was his true calling, and he began to pursue work in radio and TV voiceovers. Jim performed improv with several improv companies and did hundreds of live shows.  On the invitation of producers, he guest starred several times on Britain’s Whose Line Is It, Anyway?In 1993, Jim moved home to LA with his family to pursued a career in TV and film, beginning with Fresh Prince of Bel Air and a role in director Ron Howard’s Oscar-nominated Apollo 13.Jim has appeared on major television programs; Friends, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, This is Us, SWAT, NCIS, Parks & Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, to name but a few. His character voices have been heard on innumerable video games and animated shows including Marvel Avengers Assemble, Batman: Arkham Asylum,Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Pinky & The Brain, Phineas & Ferb, The Legend of Korra, Avatar the Last Airbender, and two reboots of Thundercats. His viral hit, Shakespeare in Celebrity Voices brought him global attention on YouTube and lead to many opportunities, including performing on America’s Got Talent in 2013, where his improvised celebrity impressions at Radio City Music Hall earned him a standing ovation. Currently, Jim provides the voice of iconic Colonel Harland Sanders for the KFC brand on radio, web and television ads.  He appears in GASLIT on Starz with Sean Penn and Julia Roberts later this year, as well as HUNTERS on HBO with Al Pacino. Colonel Sanders voices all the original Thundercats: https://youtu.be/2hAfq86y3EU Follow Jim on IG @Jimpressions

Karen Ceesay is an actress, writer, acting coach, producer and Spelman College alumna, with over twenty years experience in Atlanta, Georgia and throughout the southeast. You may have seen Karen in several of her recurring roles on projects such as, The Walking Dead, Stranger Things, Black Lightning, and Greenleaf to name a few. She currently has a project in development with Laurence Fishburne’s production Company, Cinema Gypsy and wrote on a short form series entitled Intersection which snagged an acting Emmy nomination and several other nominations in various festivals.A respected and long standing member of Atlanta’s entertainment community, Karen is frequently requested to speak on panels at festivals and events such as the Atlanta Film Festival, BronzeLens Film Festival, DragonCon, and was a guest at the famed San Diego Comic Con. For seventeen weeks in 2020, she conducted livestream interviews with filmmakers selected for the Atlanta Film Festival, which was unexpectedly postponed due to the pandemic.Karen serves on the Board of Directors for Film Impact Georgia, on the Artist Advisory Council for ArtsATL, and on the local SAG/AFTRA organizing committee. She still works closely with Women in Film & Television Atlanta (WIFTA) where she served on the Board of Directors for several years. Among reprising her roles as Mrs. Sinclair for Stranger Things Season 4, Karen has been busy this past year with roles on Tyler Perry's Young Dylan and on the show Young Rock. She is also in Hulu's Suncoast, directed by Laura Chin, which is a must see film in 2024. Karen lives in Atlanta with her chef husband and son, a budding director. You can follow her on IG @Karencessay You can follow the host Sloane on IG @Sloanewarren

Marshall Coats is a dynamic multi-instrumentalist and vocalist who has performed in 49 US states and multiple countries. Marshall grew up in a musical family first learning the piano at the age of 8.  By 15 he was playing gigs professionally as a bassist and studying music composition. Marshall has since performed on stage with Zac Brown and Velvet Revolver and has appeared on The Late Show, Conan O’Brian and Jimmy Kimmel Live with Kid Rock, Travis Barker and Yelawolf.   Marshall currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia where he produces music and entertains crowds regularly as an MC and lead singer for Atlanta Wedding Band and as a solo and dueling pianist. He can perform in just about any style imaginable from jazz to modern pop -- and can turn any room into an instant party through his organic and joyful showmanship. Follow Marshall on IG @MarshallCoats Follow Sloane on IG @SloaneWarren or you can check out what Sloane is doing here: https://twinspeakproductions.com/ Watch the award winning scary film Finley here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0641hHG1IQ&ab_channel=J.ZacharyThurman

I had a very special conversation with this amazingly talented and insightful actor and coach. I hope you will give a listen (or watch if you are inclined) and share it with your friends. DaJuan Johnson  can be seen co-starring on Amazon’s longest running drama series “Bosch” from 2014 through 2021. Based on Michael Connelly’s best-selling novels the series follows Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver), an LAPD homicide detective who pursues justice at all costs. Johnson is a scene stealer as Detective Rondell Pierce, a role he held since the pilot of the show. He also recurs on the spinoff BOSCH:LEGACY. DaJuan has also recurred on “Grey’s Anatomy” where ABC backed him for an Emmy Campaign for his role as Garret Boland. DaJuan Johnson is also a certified life + Transformation coach, and the Founder of Think Bigger Coaching where He Helps Actors Book off Self-Tapes and get to their dreams faster by developing a Booker’s Mindset.

Voiceover actor, writer, and snappy dresser, JP Karliak (he/him) has voiced such iconic characters as Wile E. Coyote, the Tin Man, Willy Wonka, and the title role in The Boss Baby: Back In Business and The Boss Baby: Back In The Crib.  He has also played a slew of Marvel heroes and villains including Loki, the Vision, Hawkeye, Wiccan, Black Cat, and most notably Green Goblin in Spidey and His Amazing Friends. Anime credits include Kozo Fuyutsuki in the Netflix dub of Neon Genesis Evangelion and roles in Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway, Eden, and the Fate/Grand Order films. On the interactive side, JP played N. Tropy in Crash Bandicoot 4, Junkbot in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Wolfgang in the Skylanders series.Aside from voice acting, JP is the founder and president of Queer Vox, a non-profit training academy and community for LGBTQIA+ voice talent that advocates for authentic and equitable casting opportunities.  Also a political junkie, JP and pal Courtenay Taylor are co-founders of the nonpartisan organization NerdsVote, linking cosplayers, gamers, con-goers, and pop culture fans of all kinds to voter registration opportunities. JP is a graduate of USC's School of Dramatic Arts and serves on their Alumni Leadership Council. Hailing from the "Electric City," Scranton, PA, JP loves pie, his husband Scott, his dog Stanley Pucci, and pie. queervox.com jpkarliak.com

If you are an actor in the US you undeniably heard the twitter storm that was a huge catalyst for change in the regional areas outside of LA and NY. Bethany, (Doom Patrol, Ozark, Blood On Her Name) was at the forefront, and this conversation. In fact, this conversation we had a while back was the same exact morning of that powerful tweet she sent went out. While this was over a year ago the conversation is still relevant today. We hope to catch up soon to see how things have changed and what still needs to be done. You can follow Bethany on Instagram at @LindBethanyAnne or X formerly known as Twitter at @LindBethanyAnne

Our season two opener enlightens writers everywhere that you can achieve success by finding your own specific voice. Much like how actors are told "Do you, cause everyone else is taken." This applies to writers as well. Steve Yockey is a Los Angeles based writer with work produced throughout the US, Europe, and Asia.  His plays Bellwether, Pluto, Afterlife, Octopus, Large Animal Games, CARTOON, Subculture, Very Still & Hard to See, Blackberry Winter, The Thrush & Them Woodpecker, The Fisherman’s Wife, Wolves, Disassembly, and Niagara Falls & Other Plays are published and licensed by Samuel French/Concord Theatricals. His newest play Sleeping Giant was selected for the Center Theatre Group LA Playwrights Festival and premiered at the Assembly Rooms in the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Next season: Bleeding Hearts appeared as a co-production between Arizona Theatre Company (Phoenix) and Stray Cat Theatre (Tempe).  Steve holds an MFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. He was a Co-Executive Producer on the television series Supernatural and is an Executive Producer and the creator/showrunner on HBO Max’s Emmy-nominated darkly comedic thriller The Flight Attendant. Coming up his highly anticipated Dead Boy Detectives.

This is the video version of the wonderful ways in which casting is always rooting for us behind the scenes. Now that the strike is over it's a great reminder as those auditions continue to flow in.