That One Audition with Alyshia Ochse

Today we're sitting down with Reid Scott, the actor who spent seven seasons as Veep's Dan Egan and three as Detective Riley on Law & Order, and who never planned to be an actor at all.
Reid tells the story of the one-line Sopranos audition that ended with him saying the same line to 15 different writers in an all-white room, cracking a Simpsons joke, and showing himself out.
He also shares how a stutter led him to acting, why a casting director told his agent "I don't know what you see in this kid" right before he tested for the lead of Scrubs, how Armando Iannucci crumpled up the script and just talked to "Dan," and how Stephen Colbert and Dick Cavett helped him build his Marvelous Mrs. Maisel talk show host.
Plus, the note from his acting teacher that changed everything, and why the actors who book are often the ones who want the job but don't need it: "I wanted it, but I didn't need it."
These are the unforgettable stories that landed Reid Scott right here.
Credits:
Law & Order
The Idea of You
Veep
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
The Afterparty
Curb Your Enthusiasm
American Horror Stories
Venom
Late Night
Black and Blue
Home Again
Who Invited Charlie?
The Big C
My Boys
All My Children
Guest Links:
IMDB: Reid Scott, actor, writer, director
THAT ONE AUDITION'S LINKS:
For exclusive content surrounding this and all podcast episodes, sign up for our amazing newsletter at AlyshiaOchse.com. And don't forget to snap and post a photo while listening to the show and tag me: @alyshiaochse & @thatoneaudition
THE BRIDGE FOR ACTORS: Become a WORKING ACTOR (50% off special)
THE PRACTICE TRACK: Membership to Practice Weekly
CONSULTING: Get 1-on-1 advice for your acting career from Alyshia Ochse
COACHING: Get personalized coaching from Alyshia on your next audition or role
INSTAGRAM: @alyshiaochse
INSTAGRAM: @thatoneaudition
WEBSITE: AlyshiaOchse.com
APPLE PODCASTS: Subscribe to That One Audition on Apple Podcasts
SPOTIFY: Subscribe to That One Audition on Spotify
EPISODE CREDITS:
HOST/PRODUCER: Alyshia Ochse
WEBSITE & GRAPHICS: Chase Jennings
SOCIAL: Alara Cerikcioglu

David Denman's line from this week's episode, "the second you need a job, you will never book that job," applies to more than just the audition room. This week: why desperation reads on camera, the negotiation moves to use when an offer comes in low, and how to actually build the "enough" underneath the mindset so it's not just a trick you're playing on yourself.
Subscribe now for insightful discussions, empowering interviews, and practical advice to enhance your career longevity and satisfaction.
Connect with That One Audition:
PUBLIC POP UP NOVEMBER 10th: FREE WHAT'S MY FRAME
THE BRIDGE FOR ACTORS: Become a WORKING ACTOR - 50% OFF
THE PRACTICE TRACK: Membership to Practice Weekly
CONSULTING: Get 1-on-1 advice for your acting career from Alyshia Ochse
COACHING: Get personalized coaching from Alyshia on your next audition or role
INSTAGRAM: @alyshiaochse
INSTAGRAM: @thatoneaudition
WEBSITE: AlyshiaOchse.com
APPLE PODCASTS: Subscribe to That One Audition on Apple Podcasts
SPOTIFY: Subscribe to That One Audition on Spotify
Subscribe today and be part of a community that celebrates resilience and passion in the world of acting! #ActorsResilience #RecoveryMindset #ThatOneAudition #PodcastJourney
CREDITS:
Host/Producer: Alyshia Ochse
WRITER: Alyshia Ochse
WEBSITE & GRAPHICS: Chase Jennings
SOCIAL: Alara Cerikcioglu

Today we're sitting down with David Denman, the Juilliard-trained actor the world met as Roy on The Office, a role he only auditioned for because a friend called and told him to watch the British version. His agent didn't even think he did comedy.
Thirty years in, David pulls back the curtain on the business side nobody talks about: why he turned down a role on Kate Winslet's Mare of Easttown, how he pitched his way into the part he wanted, and what happened when HBO came back with the lowest offer of his career.
He also shares how he self-taped for James Gunn's Brightburn while his newborn son was in the NICU, the "awkward blind date" with Elizabeth Banks that sealed the deal, and how a one-day job with Antoine Fuqua on Emancipation turned into The Equalizer 3.
Plus, the advice that's kept him working: own your choices, keep all the plates spinning, and never audition from a place of need, because "the second you need a job, you will never book that job."
These are the unforgettable stories that landed David Denman right here.
Credits:
The Night Agent
The Five-Star Weekend
Peacemaker
Rebel Ridge
The Equalizer 3
Emancipation
Mare of Easttown
Greenland
Brightburn
Puzzle
Logan Lucky
Outcast
13 Hours
The Office
The Replacements
Guest Links:
IMDB: David Denman, actor
INSTAGRAM: @david_denman
THAT ONE AUDITION'S LINKS:
For exclusive content surrounding this and all podcast episodes, sign up for our amazing newsletter at AlyshiaOchse.com. And don't forget to snap and post a photo while listening to the show and tag me: @alyshiaochse & @thatoneaudition
PUBLIC POP UP NOVEMBER 10th: FREE WHAT'S MY FRAME
THE BRIDGE FOR ACTORS: Become a WORKING ACTOR (50% off special)
THE PRACTICE TRACK: Membership to Practice Weekly
CONSULTING: Get 1-on-1 advice for your acting career from Alyshia Ochse
COACHING: Get personalized coaching from Alyshia on your next audition or role
INSTAGRAM: @alyshiaochse
INSTAGRAM: @thatoneaudition
WEBSITE: AlyshiaOchse.com
APPLE PODCASTS: Subscribe to That One Audition on Apple Podcasts
SPOTIFY: Subscribe to That One Audition on Spotify
EPISODE CREDITS:
HOST/PRODUCER: Alyshia Ochse
WEBSITE & GRAPHICS: Chase Jennings
SOCIAL: Alara Cerikcioglu

Wendy Braun is a working actor, mindset coach, and creator of the Success Breakthrough workshop featured in Forbes — but this episode is really about the moment she sat in her car outside a preschool, ready to quit the business, and chose to stay.
Working since 1995 with credits on Grey's Anatomy, This Is Us, Atypical, and Criminal Minds, Wendy built a parallel life coaching actors through the inner game of auditioning — writing and recording her own guided meditations, building workshops, and helping thousands of actors shift from proving to playing.
Now she's on Jury Duty Season 2 as the villain, and her audition story is a masterclass: a 24-hour self-tape turnaround the day after a 10-day meditation retreat, a live callback where she brought apples with lime and Bristol Farms chicken, and a booking that arrived 30 years into her career — when she finally stopped needing it.
We also talk about self-tape vs. in-person prep, memorization, motherhood and ambition, and why "nerves are just excitement without the breath."
These are the unforgettable stories that landed Wendy Braun right here.
Credits:
Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat
Grey's Anatomy
This Is Us
Atypical
Criminal Minds
Lost
The West Wing
Castle
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
The Mentalist
Guest Links:
IMDB: Wendy Braun, actress
THAT ONE AUDITION'S LINKS:
For exclusive content surrounding this and all podcast episodes, sign up for our amazing newsletter at AlyshiaOchse.com. And don't forget to snap and post a photo while listening to the show and tag me: @alyshiaochse & @thatoneaudition
PUBLIC POP UP NOVEMBER 10th: FREE WHAT'S MY FRAME
THE BRIDGE FOR ACTORS: Become a WORKING ACTOR (50% off special)
THE PRACTICE TRACK: Membership to Practice Weekly
WENDY'S SUCCESS IN THE AUDITION ROOM: 5 min FREE MEDITATION
CONSULTING: Get 1-on-1 advice for your acting career from Alyshia Ochse
COACHING: Get personalized coaching from Alyshia on your next audition or role
INSTAGRAM: @alyshiaochse
INSTAGRAM: @thatoneaudition
WEBSITE: AlyshiaOchse.com
APPLE PODCASTS: Subscribe to That One Audition on Apple Podcasts
SPOTIFY: Subscribe to That One Audition on Spotify
EPISODE CREDITS:
HOST/PRODUCER: Alyshia Ochse
WEBSITE & GRAPHICS: Chase Jennings
SOCIAL: Alara Cerikcioglu

In this episode, 23 years as a SAG-AFTRA member, and I'm watching eight-page, plot-driving roles get labeled "Large Co-star" by CBS, ABC, HBO, Netflix, and Apple — a mislabel that's the difference between needing 23 TV bookings a year to qualify for health and pension versus needing 3. This week, I'm breaking down SAG's actual co-star definition, the pattern I'm seeing across every platform, and why it matters for every actor trying to build a real career.
Subscribe now for insightful discussions, empowering interviews, and practical advice to enhance your career longevity and satisfaction.
Connect with That One Audition:
SAG PETITION SIGN: Protection for the Working Actor
THE BRIDGE FOR ACTORS: Become a WORKING ACTOR - 50% OFF
THE PRACTICE TRACK: Membership to Practice Weekly
CONSULTING: Get 1-on-1 advice for your acting career from Alyshia Ochse
COACHING: Get personalized coaching from Alyshia on your next audition or role
INSTAGRAM: @alyshiaochse
INSTAGRAM: @thatoneaudition
WEBSITE: AlyshiaOchse.com
APPLE PODCASTS: Subscribe to That One Audition on Apple Podcasts
SPOTIFY: Subscribe to That One Audition on Spotify
Subscribe today and be part of a community that celebrates resilience and passion in the world of acting! #ActorsResilience #RecoveryMindset #ThatOneAudition #PodcastJourney
CREDITS:
Host/Producer: Alyshia Ochse
WRITER: Alyshia Ochse
WEBSITE & GRAPHICS: Chase Jennings
SOCIAL: Alara Cerikcioglu