Erik Jensen is a multipyphenate who, along with his wife and creative partner Jessica Blank have been called “the foremost practitioners of documentary theater in the U.S.” Their genre-defining plays “The Exonerated,” “Aftermath,” “Coal Country,” and “The Line” were all critically acclaimed. As an actor, Jensen’s credits include “The Walking Dead,” “Mindhunter,” “Mr. Robot,” “The Americans,” not to mention his praised portrayal of legendary NY Yankee Thurman Munson in “The Bronx is Burning.” On this episode he details his approach toward playing that beloved figure, and finding out that “almost the entire body of that character was an emotional word-gesture.” He talks about learning how much psychology is in people’s words, his process of having multiple “wants” for a character so he can easily adapt to what he’s given, he explains why it’s a disservice to write or act for the audience, why he doesn’t believe in monologues, how conducting interviews taught him how to listen and become a better actor, plus much more.

Back To One is the in-depth, no-nonsense, actors-on-acting podcast from Filmmaker Magazine. In each episode, host Peter Rinaldi invites one working actor to do a deep dive into their unique process, psychology, and approach to the craft.

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