That One Audition with Alyshia Ochse

Alexa PenaVega has been paid as a professional actor since the tender age of 4 years old when she shared the screen with the infamous Burt Reynolds in the television series EVENING SHADE. Alexa went on to steadily work in amazing films like TWISTER, NINE MONTHS, MACHETE KILLS, SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR and several other noteworthy cinematic masterpieces. Her work in SPY KIDS made her a worldwide success and secured her role as CARMEN CORTEZ in the sequels Spy Kids 2, 3 and 4. But it's her insatiable likability and respectful work ethic that makes her a constant hire and on the list of many studios. Here she gives insight to the best ways to approach auditioning and being on set that enhances your chances for success. Alexa currently can be seen on her YouTube Channel Lex Loves Los and Hallmark Channel's ENCHANTED CHRISTMAS. Alexa is producing two new projects with her husband, Carlos PenaVega and IM Global.

Hyper, irreverent, and just downright fabulous, ANT (spelled in caps) has steadily climbed the comedy hill to become one of the most successful comedians of our time. A regular guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Tyra Banks show, ANT is the only comedian to appear on all five seasons of NBC's hit series Last Comic Standing. He is recognized as the host VH1's Celebrity Fit Club and in the LOGO series, "U.S. of ANT." ANT ventured out of his comfort zone, appearing in "Celebri-Cadabra." a competition show featuring magic and celebrities. His hit stand-up DVD, "ANT: America's Ready" and comedy CD "Follow my ass!" have sold tens of thousands of copies and are available in stores nationwide and online at every CD/DVD retailer including amazon.com. ANT's daily video blog, "The ANT Colony," has taken the web by storm. Ant can currently be seen on various stages across the world and heard on his hit podcast, SECOND CHANCES.

Born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland, Marianna Palka is a passionate actress and humanist filmmaker. Marianna can be seen as Reggie in Netflix's new original series "GLOW", which follows the personal and professional lives of a group of women who perform for a wrestling organization in Los Angeles. At the age of 17, Marianna moved to New York from Scotland to study at David Mamet and William H. Macy's Atlantic Theater Company. From there, she amassed numerous roles in theater, film and television. Marianna made her first journey to Sundance with her film GOOD DICK in 2008, starring Jason Ritter and herself. She returned in 2010 as a Sloan juror. Marianna can be seen in Peter Mullan's 2011 BAFTA award winning film NEDS and in the lead role in director Jeremiah Jones independent film RESTIVE, which won the Audience Award at the 2011 Austin Film Festival and was nominated for Best Actress and Best Feature Film at the 2012 Charlotte Film Festival. She appeared in two short films which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival; SPOONFUL by director Jenee LaMarque and Bryce Dallas Howard's second film WHEN YOU FIND ME, executive produced by Ron Howard for the Canon sponsored Project Imagina8tion. She returned to Sundance again in 2014 with the short documentary THE LION'S MOUTH OPENS. Marianna recently returned from yet another stint at Sundance after premiering a film which she wrote and starred in, BITCH; a surreal, manic, funny, absurd, tragic, and painful depiction of family life about a woman who takes on the identity of a wild dog. BITCH had its international premiere at Sundance London this June. She is currently directing EGG, starring Alysia Reiner, Christina Hendricks and Anna Camp. On the small screen, Marianna's work includes HBO's "Girls", "Derek and Simon", and Comedy Central's "Drunk History".

Alysia is best known for her role as Natalie "Fig" Figueroa, the tough as nails assistant warden everyone loves to hate on NETFLIX's hit series ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK. Alysia won a SAG award as part of the amazing ensemble cast, and you can see her in all 5 binge-worthy seasons. She is currently in production on Season 6 of ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK and recently launched her very own eco-friendly fashion label, Livari. Alysia recently wrapped production as both a producer and star of motherhood dark comedy EGG, starring with Christina Hendricks and Anna Camp. You can also catch her as Sunny in F/X's critical hit and Peadbody Award winning BETTER THINGS, brought to you by the inimitable Louie CK and Pamela Adlon. And don't forget to look for her in recent/upcoming episodes of YOUNGER, BROAD CITY and ODD MOM OUT. Alysia may be all over your streaming shows and on your TV, but she couldn't get an agent for years and self-submitted and taped for the break role in the Oscar nominated film SIDEWAYS. Listen in to hear her daily practice for being a creative person and how she is mentoring the next generation of female storytellers.

Monique Coleman was raised by a single Mom with the intention of being the best you and putting your effort in what is inside you that makes you shine. There was never an emphasis on the best headshot, the best hair, or the best clothes only the best YOU. Monique scored several critically acclaimed films as a youngster and was awarded the Young Artist Award in 1998. But it is her purpose, goal setting and achieving that blew away her competitors in the first year in Los Angeles. She understands branding and marketing, but ultimately the power of intention to manifest booking six shows immediately upon arriving. What will surprise you is that her first audition for the film that would make her worldwide famous (High School Musical) is what made her "quit" the business and retreat to Chicago. Listen in to hear how Monique dealt with fame and transitioned her platform into reaching the youth of our nation. Monique is currently plays Katina Howard on the Verizon Go90 show Guidance and is producing to two new shows, Queen Bess and Desegregated.

Carlos PenaVega is known for his singing and acting on the hit Nickelodeon show BIG TIME RUSH but now his fans get to experience him on a daily basis through his hit show Lex Loves Los on YouTube. With a growing desire to make his own content, Carlos began documenting behind the scenes footage while traveling the world to sold out concerts. This skill came in handy and made him think outside the box for developing his brand. Carlos shares the long road to booking the job that changed his life, to the survival skills of staying afloat in this business to single handedly changing the course of his life when he moved to Hawaii. Carlos is currently plays Diego on the new CW show Life Sentence and is producing to two new shows with his wife Alexa PenaVega for IM Global.

Lane Garrison accepted a dare in his senior year of high school and auditioned for the chorus line in the school musical. He didn't get it, but it gave him the confidence to explore that side of himself. A true Texan boy filled with grit and growth he didn't follow the rules, he only followed the intensity of his calling to make movies. After graduation he followed his instincts and headed west. But it didn't come easy for Lane, it took over 6 years to get a theatrical agent. Lane didn't give himself a backup plan, instead he strategized and worked hard to make opportunities happen for himself. After Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's Oscar win for Goodwill Hunting, Lane figured his way into the acting world would be to write himself the part. A deal made over a 10 mile run and a game of basketball with Adam Sandler landed him with the biggest agents in Hollywood. Listen in to hear how Lane followed the "clues to his success" landing him in dynamic roles in Quality of Life, Shooter, Camp Xray, Prison Break, Bonnie and Clyde, From Dusk till Dawn, Better Call Saul, and Roots. The role on Roots garnered Lane a Critics' Choice Award Nomination for "Best Supporting Actor In A Movie Made For Television Or Miniseries.

Gillian Vigman deems herself a late bloomer to the acting game, but she has always been an entertainer. She hailed from Second City in Chicago, but didn't give Los Angeles a try till she was 30 years old. A comedic genius with a self-depricating heart of gold, this woman knows how to make the uncomfortable job of auditioning into a humorous experience for everyone involved. Life has come full circle for Gillian from being taught by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler back in Chicago to now sharing the screen with them. Gillian held down multiple jobs for years to support her craft and find her "special something" that made her stand out from the crowd. Comedy. Life with Gillian is a constant chuckle, even as she journeys down the tragic moments of her career, she does so with such wit and amusement. You don't want to miss a moment of what might come out of this woman's mouth. Her story defies the Hollywood idealism of age and success. Her amusing approach to auditions has left an impactful imprint on my heart and to the Hollywood casting gods. Gillian has worked in over 70 television and film projects and countless commercial campaigns. She is most recognizable as "Jack's wife" in many Jack in the Box commercials and Bradley Cooper's wife in all the Hangover movies, but also for notable for her membership in the recurring cast of comedians on the sketch series MADtv. Gillian appeared in the critcially acclaimed show Son's & Daughters, Californication, New Girl, Suburgatory, Parks and Recreation, Dr. Ken, Life in Pieces, and Scrubs. Gillian currently can be seen in THE HOUSE with Amy Poehler and Will Ferrel, in HBO's show DIVORCE and new CW show LIFE SENTENCE.

Jason Momoa was the FIRST one to audition for GAME OF THRONES and the LAST one cast a year later. His cousins impact on his life helped him make a strong choice that ultimately landed him the role. But it took him a few years and a couple of classes to trust his instinctive strong choices and learn how to "audition". BAYWATCH discovered him in his native home of Hawaii among a 1300 person cattle call. Jason responded to a radio call announcing the audition that would pay him more than the daily rate of folding T-shirts at the family owned surf shop. Jason's unique look has always made him a different choice but also made opportunities few and far between. So Jason, with many of his close friends, formed the production company Pride of Gypsies which has made Jason into an all around film maker, writing, producing, directing and acting. Jason will always be remembered for his unforgettable role as Drogo in season one of GAME OF THRONES. Currently, Jason is Aquaman in the DC Comics JUSTICE LEAGUE and AQUAMAN in 2018. Check out Pride of Gypsies' BROWN BAG DIARIES, ROAD TO PALOMA and BRAVEN.

Tommy Dewey may seem casually cool and like he has it all figured out in this business, but it took "letting go" of perfection to land the jobs on CASUAL and THE MINDY PROJECT that made him feel like he could truly relax and embrace a fully realized character. A collegiate track runner at Princeton University, Tommy had big plans for Wall Street signing up for the LSAT twice. On hiatus from a stress fracture, Tommy accepted a challenge to audition for the two coveted spots in Princeton's improv troupe. No acting experience, but a innate sense of comedic timing and his sports driven ambitious nature landed him one of the two coveted roles out of 100 actors. Tommy not only secured the spot in the group, he eventually was the troupe's director and writer. Law School was still waiting for Tommy, but Tommy challenged himself with a summer intensive at RODA and now attributes his success to his fall back plan being writing. Yes, this guy can write! Tommy took a year off of acting to create and run the writer's room for his own show "Sons of Tucson." Listen in to hear how Tommy deals with nerves, how he runs a casting session for his shows, what really gets you the job, how to stay in the game and how his back up plan now is writing.

Merle was born in Okinawa, Japan to a mother of Korean and Japanese descent and an African-American father serving in the U.S Force. Growing up in Nebraska,but not into football, Merle didn't know where she fit. A friend encouraged Merle to choose drama as a study because she was told it was "easy". Little did Merle know that the drama department would be the community she had been longing for and that expression would give her the platform to explore social conditions and and the emotions that must be exposed to understand and accept each other. Merle graduated college and had a wild inclination that New York was where she needed to be to fulfill her purpose. With $107 in her pock, a packed Uhaul and an ailing kitten, she drove to New York and landed in the sea of many hopeful artist. Merle was still figuring out what was cool and learning everything on the fly. At the time a non-equity actor, she heard that everyone in town was going to audition for "Jesus Christ Superstar", so she decided to learn a song and stand in line at 4am to hopefully be given the opportunity to audition. At 1pm the casting director not only called her in to the room, but gave her the space and the light to shine. Even though most things came to Merle very easily, she was still doing what she considers "on the job" training and chasing after an idea or feeling of what it is to be an actress. After a job replaced her, a blessing in disguise, Merle accredits her acting coach Warner Loughlin for giving her the strength and confidence to approach every role with ease and unwavering sense of responsibility to the intention and message of the role. After working three jobs to support her theater career, Merle Dandridge landed herself in the company of Oprah and now holds the honor of portraying Grace on OWN's hit show, GREENLEAF. This woman's 25 year journey is nothing short of resilient, spiritual, and guided.

NYU graduate Julie Benz has worked, developing a career that has ridden high waves as a series regular on several TV shows…but she still auditions and LOVES it. By the time Julie Benz was 16 years old she had retired from her professional career as a figure skater due to an injury and was dragged by her Mom to her first audition. Julie got cast in the play and loved it. But Julie didn't feel like she was a "natural" at acting and enrolled at the drama department at NYU, plus took additional acting classes in the city to get more experience. When NYU tried to kick her out for auditioning for a pilot, a tenured teacher put her reputation on the line and said she would quit teaching if Julie was kicked out of the program. Three years later, Julie graduated NYU and ran to Hollywood. Julie isn't a prude, but she insists there must be a financial transaction to see her in a bikini. This smart and savvy woman stands her ground and respects her craft, yet will bravely put her raw "makeup free" heart and soul into an audition. Listen in to hear how accepting Vampire Girl #1 for Buffy the Vampire Slayer impacted her career and set the foundation of being on a short list for studios. Here she shares her "most favorite things" about acting, auditioning and The Secret gratitude journal. Julie Benz currently can be seen critically acclaimed show Dexter, Defiance, Hawaii Five-0 and constant reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Katheryn Winnick now stars in the History Channel critically acclaimed show Vikings in the iconic role of Lagertha, but it took 14 years to find the right role to really embrace and represent Katheryn's unique strength as a double black belt holder in Tae Kwon Do and Karate. Katheryn started her journey into acting by getting fired off of her first set by being too enthralled in the realism of the major action on set and instinctively starting to yell in the scene as a background artist. Her mother picked her up from set and Katheryn defiantly held her head high and told her Mom, "One day I'm going to be a lead actress and they won't be able to fire me." Katheryn is not only a lead actress, she is critically acclaimed and is on the short list for every major studio. Katheryn's business savvy skills as a young child made her the proud owner of three Tae Kwon Studios by the age of 21. When she started to pursue acting in New York in her early 20s she avoided having the torturous struggling artists syndrome because she had a thriving lucrative empire back in Toronto. After being chosen to be on the first season of "The It Factor" Katheryn landed an influential theatrical agent and started making creatively bold choices in the audition room that garnered attention from casting directors on both coasts. The self-taught, introspective woman studied her own feelings and gave herself her own assessment of each audition by keeping an audition journal. This journal allowed her to see and identify her strengths and weaknesses in the audition room. This journal allowed her to be more free with herself and the feelings she had in the audition that ultimately illuminated a courageous, thoughtfully crafted career that many seek to have. Katheryn Winnick can be seen in the 5th season of History's show Vikings, in The Dark Tower opposite Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba and in Call of Duty WWII video game.

Damon Dayoub didn't dream of being an actor, he was working 90 hour weeks in El Paso, TX managing bars and decided he needed a hobby. That hobby landed him in Los Angeles at the mercy of some of the best casting directors looking out for him. Damon worked hard on his new found love of acting and started crafting a career by learning some tough lessons, taking chances and being humble. Many of Damon's job have been from a few casting elites who have an eye for greatness and trust his instincts. Damon landed his first TV guest star role on the show, The Whole Truth (2010) casted by Michael Testa. Damon has also appeared on shows such as, Brothers & Sisters, Single Ladies, Dallas, NCIS, and The Last Ship. Damon currently plays Detective Quincy Fisher on the third season of Freeform's Stitchers (also cast by Michael Testa) and will be seen on the big screen later this year in Danger One.

Ravi Patel has been in over 70 national commercials, films and TV shows, most notably Transformers, Scrubs, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Comedians, Master of None, and Grandfathered BUT Ravi never intended on acting. In fact, Ravi planned on a career in finance. After faking his transcripts to secure a more reputable job, Ravi discovered that the finance world was not his cup of tea. His journey into acting is filled with serendipitously spontaneous adventures paving the way for Ravi being a recognizable face in your living room. An impromptu emcee job led to casting calls. A Ryan Seacrest billboard led to a stick figure drawn headshot that put Ravi's natural improv skills on display in Michael Bay's film Transformers. The well-circulated press trailer for Transformers was mostly Ravi's small, but impactful, hilarious scene that grabbed the attention of a theatrical agent and several other opportunities in television. For show notes and additional information, head over to www.alyshiaochse.com. Never miss an episode! Subscribe to That One Audition here: www.alyshiaochse.com/subscribe

Host and fellow actress, Alyshia Ochse sits down for a solo-conversation all about what to expect on the following episodes of That One Audition. For show notes and additional information, head over to www.alyshiaochse.com. Never miss an episode! Subscribe to That One Audition here: www.alyshiaochse.com/subscribe