Brian Dietzen is one of the rare people in Hollywood who has quietly done what thousands of actors chase and almost none achieve: he built a long, stable, meaningful career by showing up, staying useful, and outlasting the noise.

Best known for his role as Jimmy Palmer on NCIS, Brian sits down with actor and director Landon Ashworth for a candid conversation about what it actually means to be a working actor — not a breakout star, not a flash-in-the-pan success story, but someone who builds a career brick by brick over decades.

This episode is not about red carpets or viral moments. It’s about craft, professionalism, patience, and survival in an industry that rarely rewards any of those things quickly.

Brian talks openly about:

• Getting cast without knowing how long the job will last

• The difference between fame and employment

• Why most acting careers quietly end

• What NCIS taught him about consistency and responsibility

• Staying creatively fulfilled inside a long-running network show

• How to remain grateful without becoming complacent

The conversation also explores the psychological side of acting — insecurity, comparison, the constant awareness that nothing is guaranteed, and the strange position of being recognizable without being untouchable.

Landon approaches the discussion not as a fan, but as a peer — asking questions from inside the profession rather than from the outside looking in. Together, they unpack the unglamorous realities most people never hear about: auditions that go nowhere, careers that stall without explanation, and the discipline required to keep going when momentum disappears.

Brian reflects on how NCIS became more than just a job — how long-term collaboration changes the way you approach your work, your coworkers, and your own ego. He also discusses writing, producing, and finding creative agency inside a system that often limits it.

This episode is especially resonant for:

• Actors and creatives trying to build sustainable careers

• Anyone working in a competitive, unstable industry

• Listeners tired of “overnight success” mythology

• People who want to understand what real professional longevity looks like

There’s no false bravado here. No pretending the industry is fair. No shortcuts offered. Just an honest, grounded look at what it takes to keep showing up — and why showing up is often the hardest part.

For aspiring actors, this conversation may be more valuable than a dozen motivational speeches. For non-actors, it’s a revealing look at how much discipline, humility, and endurance sit behind the entertainment people casually consume.

Thoughtful, grounded, and deeply human, this is a rare long-form conversation with someone who understands that success isn’t about being famous — it’s about being able to keep doing the work.

Vincent Kartheiser is one of those rare actors whose career defies easy categorization. Best known to many audiences as Pete Campbell on Mad Men, Vincent has spent decades building a body of work defined not by celebrity, but by risk, range, and an unusual willingness to disappear completely into his characters. His new role in the film Go On is breathtaking. The film is now available on Amazon Prime.

In this episode, actor, writer, and director Landon Ashworth sits down with Vincent for an honest conversation about acting, identity, ambition, and the strange realities of building a career in Hollywood while resisting many of the industry's traditional definitions of success.

This is not a conversation about fame.

It's a conversation about artistic obsession, creative sacrifice, and the complicated relationship actors have with the characters they inhabit.

Vincent talks openly about:

• The role that changed his life and how Mad Men reshaped his career
• Why some actors chase visibility while others chase the work itself
• The psychological cost of living inside difficult characters
• Navigating success when success doesn't solve the problems you thought it would
• The difference between being recognized and being understood
• Choosing projects based on artistic curiosity rather than industry expectations
• What he has learned from decades of working across film, television, and independent projects

The conversation also explores the less visible side of acting—the uncertainty, self-doubt, and constant reinvention required to survive in a profession where careers can change direction overnight.

Landon approaches the discussion not as a journalist, but as a fellow actor and filmmaker. Rather than focusing on credits and accomplishments, the conversation dives into the internal experience of building a creative life: what drives artists forward, what keeps them stuck, and what happens when the pursuit of excellence becomes inseparable from personal identity.

Together they discuss the tension between ambition and fulfillment, the challenge of maintaining authenticity inside an industry built on perception, and the reality that many of the most meaningful creative victories happen far away from public attention.

Vincent reflects on the projects that shaped him, the lessons learned from both success and disappointment, and why longevity in the arts often depends less on talent than on resilience, curiosity, and the willingness to continue evolving.

This episode is especially resonant for:

• Actors and filmmakers navigating an unpredictable industry
• Artists wrestling with questions of identity and purpose
• Anyone interested in the creative process behind transformative performances
• Listeners who appreciate thoughtful conversations about craft rather than celebrity
• People searching for a deeper understanding of what a life in the arts actually looks like

There are no easy answers offered here. No formulas for success. No illusion that talent alone is enough.

Instead, this is a thoughtful, candid conversation about creative work, personal growth, and the lifelong challenge of becoming better at something that can never truly be mastered.

Insightful, reflective, and deeply human, this is a rare long-form discussion with an actor who has spent his career chasing meaningful work rather than attention—and whose perspective offers valuable lessons far beyond Hollywood.

Derek Theler knows what it’s like to “make it” — and then realize that success doesn’t mean what you thought it would.

Known for his breakout role on the hit sitcom Baby Daddy, Derek sits down with actor and director Landon Ashworthfor an honest conversation about fame, typecasting, and the brutal reality of trying to jump from TV star to movie leading man. They talk openly about identity, expectations, body image, career pressure, and what happens when the industry puts you in a box you didn’t ask for.

This isn’t a highlight reel. It’s a real discussion about what fame gives you, what it quietly takes away, and how hard it is to reinvent yourself once the world thinks it knows who you are.

Topics include:

• What sudden fame actually feels like

• Sitcom success vs. long-term career freedom

• The invisible ceiling TV actors hit

• The pressure to look a certain way

• Confidence, insecurity, and starting over

• Why “being famous” doesn’t equal control

A candid conversation for anyone navigating ambition, reinvention, or the gap between how things look from the outside and how they feel on the inside.