Dan is joined by musical theatre superstar, and member of the ensemble from Beauty and the Beast Australia, Anthony Garcia! We recorded this episode just before Beauty and the Beast went into their 500th performance!

We chat about the craziness of reaching five hundred performances of Beauty and the Beast, getting the call saying he got the show, keeping up with the show, the passion of expressing yourself artistically, the elaborate and aesthetically pleasing set, covering LeFou, translating nerves into excitement, playing the comedic role, getting hired for the best version of you, table tennis, dreams of becoming a mailman, being expelled in primary school, performing in professional productions as a kid, the art of tap dancing, the importance of going to class, finding balance, ups and downs of touring life, being proud of your university mates, and so much more!

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Dan is joined by Michael James Scott who has been playing the Genie in Aladdin on and off for ten years!

We chat about Michael's love for Australia, the rarity of playing the same character in the theatre world for ten years, maintaining the energy, breaking the fourth wall, working with so many different cast members that come and go, the richness of Aladdin, the talent in Australia, working with and performing for Aussies, Aladdin being a universal show, watching a cover or swing having their moment to shine, taking in the moment, being your authentic self as the Genie, always wanting to be a performer, kindness, being joyful, loving to laugh, not having anything to prove to anyone, having a life outside the theatre, what would draw Michael back to Australia, and so much more!

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Dan is joined by TV presenter, comedian, writer, painter, performer, social & political commentator, and absolute legend in the Australian industry, Gretel Killeen.

We chat about not wanting to do any one thing forever, variety, young people being overwhelmed with choice, asking the question of what you want to do next, not being happy in law, overriding fears of performing, finding thought provoking conversations with fellow artists, the fear of what came with success, loss of privacy, taking time off to rediscover yourself, not relying on external validation, learning from valid criticism, not acting like you're so special, the luxury of being older, facing burnout, adjusting to change, being the narrator in Rocky Horror and a whole lot more!

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Dan is joined by writer, satirist, presenter, broadcaster, and yet another member of The Chaser, Craig Reucassel.

We chat about being a jack of all trades, taking on new challenges, War on Waste, the impact of War on Waste, collaboration, the brutal writing room of The Chaser, the Trojan Horse stunt, the attention that came along with The Chaser's War on Everything, meeting the initial team of The Chaser through debating, getting advice from lawyers, working with Andrew Denton, performing to a live audience, learning to be serious, work ethic, working with new people, moving from South Africa to Australia, trying many different things, deadlines, Mark Latham, and a whole lot more!

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Dan is joined by political political analyst, satirist, writer, performer, and another member of The Chaser, Chas Licciardello!

We chat about Planet America, recording long podcasts, a week in the life of Chas Licciardello, having a sense of your own fortune & privilege, the few jobs in TV, being more comfortable behind the camera, being scared of people during the controversies of The Chaser's War on Everything, the love of television, pure determination on getting yourself out there, joining The Chaser, initially not being good enough for TV, meeting the standard, Andrew Denton, the exhaustion of working The Chaser's War on Everything, being detained by Today Tonight, The Hamster Wheel, members of the group peeling off into different directions, American politics, creating a calmer space for politics, and so much more!

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Dan is joined by writer, satirist, broadcaster, and a member of The Chaser, Chris Taylor.

We chat about being fired as a team captain on Would I Lie To You?, not intending to be a comedy performer, always being comfortable with writing, studying the rhythm of writing, turning a hobby into a career, working in a newsroom, the support of Charles Firth, rolling the dice, not wanting to die wondering, the frustration of being defined by your work, things not being so far out of reach, having an innate confidence in craft, working on Australian Epic with Andrew Hansen, feeling out of place in a room of comedians, not touring with The Chaser's Age of Terror Variety Hour, and a whole lot more!

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Dan is joined by actor turned prolific producer, podcaster, director, and more recently writer, Robert Duncan McNeill AKA Tom Paris from Star Trek: Voyager. Robert has become one of the best directors working today having directed many television shows over the years including One Tree Hill, The O.C., Supernatural, Chuck, White Collar, and Resident Alien, to name a few.

We chat about his podcast The Delta Flyers, the cathartic experience of watching Star Trek: Voyager, the struggles of anxiety, taking responsibility, the dream of directing, feeling like a fraud as an actor, moving around a lot, being painfully shy, stumbling into acting, saying yes, hitting it off with Wil Wheaton, a love for the rehearsal room, gratitude, retiring the acting, turning down a Broadway musical opportunity, taking on a leadership role, creative freedom of producing shows, wanting Scott Bakula to laugh, working on Chuck, writing an episode of Resident Alien, and so much more!

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Dan is joined by actor, writer, and podcaster, Armin Shimerman AKA Quark from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine! Armin has also appeared in many TV shows over the years including Stargate SG1, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Boston Legal, Nip/Tuck, and Seinfeld to name a few.

We chat about reuniting with René Auberjonois for a scene in Boston Legal, entering the world of podcasting, admiring his fellow actors in a new light, not giving the same performance more than once, the first compliment, being a good collaborator, moving to New York, hitting a brick wall with work, learning to work on a TV set, the Quark makeup, creating your own work, being a union official, writing, keeping motivated, making a difference, finding things we like to do, the third eye, directing Shakespeare plays, Pan Can, and a whole lot more!

Please educate yourself on pancreatic cancer and visit the Pan Can website below.

https://pancan.org/

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