004.5 - Marc Menchaca [WGA Mini-season]

This week's episode features the incredibly talented actor, writer, and director, MARC MENCHANCA.

Marc was one of the first directors to ever hire me as a cinematographer, bringing me on board to shoot his debut feature, THIS IS WHERE WE LIVE. Marc wrote, directed, and starred in the film back in 2013. It played SXSW in competition and then went on to a small theatrical run. That film was the starting point for a long friendship and frequent collaboration over the years. Marc was one of the first "real" actors that I ever had a chance to direct and I've been incredibly fortunate to learn from many on set experiences with him.

Marc is an actor by trade and he has had an incredible run over the past 5-7 years. Most notably he played RUSS LANGMORE on OZARZ, creating a nuanced and complex portrait of a man in crisis. He played JACK HOSKINS on HBO's THE OUTSIDER as well as roles on White House Plumbers, American Rust, Homeland, Black Mirror, Hawaii-Five-O, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Jack Ryan, and GENERATION KILL.

I invited Marc into our writer's group to speak about the script from the perspective of an actor - what they're looking for, how they imagine the roles after those first read-throughs, and what collaboration between writers and actors might look like.

Especially in light of the SAG strike, this episode - recorded in our writer's group in early 2020 - has only felt more relevant to the current climate.