Where Hollywood Hides: Television | Movies | Music | Show Business | Writing | Producing | Directing | Acting

Ron Friedman is one of Hollywood's most prolific and celebrated television writers of all time. Join this raucous “live” conversation over lunch in the busy outdoor patio at Caffé Roma in Beverly Hills as Ron talks about working with show business  legends like longtime friend Stan Lee, the creator of X-Men,Spider Man, and Iron Man. With more than 700 TV and movie scripts to his name on shows like Get Smart, Bewitched, The Odd Couple, and Charlie’s Angels, Ron shares his secrets to entering the rarified atmosphere of professional film and television writing…as well as some practical tips for surviving on a rigorously competitive career path.   If you want the real “inside story” of life as a successful Hollywood writer, this is it. 

Actor Tab Hunter may be Hollywood’s purest definition of “genuine screen legend”…but he’s much more than just an actor. In this exclusive conversation, Tab openly shares details of a childhood that set him off on a true journey of self-discovery, worldwide celebrity, and spiritual awareness. Tab reveals details of his early career as an actor alongside Natalie Wood andJames Dean as the last of the studio system’s “contract players” and as Warner Bros. Studios’ top grossing star throughout the 1950s and 60s. Tab Hunter is not just “another actor” with an amazing list of credits. He’s a dynamic creative force and an inspiring example for us all.  If you have any dreams of a Hollywood career...you'll want to listen to these words of wisdom!

Actress Charlotte Rae joins Bob & Suzanne for an intimate conversation about her long career on stage, screen, and television, during which she gives some very sage advice for any actor dreaming of show business success. In this interview, you’ll hear Charlotte talk about studying acting at Northwestern University alongside future stars like Cloris Leachman, Patricia Neal, and Paul Lynde, and how she broke into the “golden age” of early television on shows like Armstrong Circle Theatre and The Phil Silvers Show. She shares her delight at becoming a series regular on the classic comedy Car 54, Where Are Car 54, Where Are You? which led to a long and impressive career in which she appeared on practically every major TV series over the next fifty years. Of course, Charlotte Rae is best known for playing “Edna Garrett” in nearly 200 episodes of Diff’rent Strokes and its spinoff series The Facts of Life, for which she earned an Emmy nomination. Twice nominated for Broadway’s Tony Award as Best Actress in Pickw

Film critic David Ansen has had one of the most unique and influential careers in modern entertainment history. He joins his high school classmate Bob and Suzanne in a revealing and engaging conversation that starts with a childhood growing up in Beverly Hills as the son of a Hollywood industry insider. You’ll hear about David’s early fascination with movies and how even as a pre-teen he began documenting that interest as the ultimate “list maker.” Going from undergrad writing studies at Harvard, to life on a commune, and then to writing about movies for Boston’s The Real Paper, David then found himself recommended as film reviewer at Newsweek by no less a luminary that legendary film critic Pauline Kael. During his 31-year career at Newsweek, David Ansen became one of the most powerful voices in modern film criticism. His lifelong love of movies was matched by an insightful worldview and a writing style that made many of his reviews more entertaining than the movies he reviewed. When David Ansen wrote favor

William R. Moses is one of the most prolific TV and film actors of his generation. His hundreds of credits on shows ranging from Castle, CSI: Miami, and Mad Men to NCIS, The Mentalist, and Mind Games—have established him as one of Hollywood’s true leading men. You’ll hear Bill describe his unique family origins—his mother was actress Marion McCargo, his stepfather was the hugely popular U.S. Congressman Alphonso Bell, Jr.—and how he was “discovered” at a Hollywood party by an agent who soon had him in front of the cameras in a Sprite commercial. Bill shares stories about ducking out of college classes to attend auditions and sneaking into acting classes where he began to get some idea of what this “acting thing” is really all about. By the time he was a senior, he was cast opposite Demi Moore in Choices, a roll that eventually brought him to the attention of a casting director who thought he was perfect for the role of “Cole Gioberti” in a television pilot that eventually became the mega-hit CBS-TV series Fal

In this very personal and candid conversation with Bob and Suzanne, you’ll hear their longtime friend Michael Zinberg as he share the candid details of a professional history that spans four decades and multiple career paths.  Michael is unique in the world of Hollywood, laying claim to hundreds of major directing, writing, and producing credits, as well as to two stints as a network executive.   Today, Michael is among Hollywood’s most enduring and prolific writer-producer-directors, with a track record of creating hit shows that has earned him multiple Emmy nominations and the prestigious Directors Guild Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dramatic Television for his groundbreaking work on Quantum Leap.     Michael—ever the consummate story teller—brings his innate good humor to the conversation as he talks about coming from San Antonio, Texas brimming with ambitions of big-time Hollywood success...and how he has actually achieved it.  You’ll hear about his first job as a CBS-TV usher, how he broke into

  Look up “Hollywood Royalty” in your Webster’s Dictionary, and you just might find the name and face of Oscar Nominee, Golden Globe Winner, and movie producer Hawk Koch on the page.   In this podcast interview with Bob & Suzanne, Hawk talks about his unique childhood on movie sets with his father, Howard W. Koch, one of the most prominent film producers of his generation.  Hawk describes how school vacations spent on movie sets led to his passion for film making and to an inspiring career working with legendary directors like Robert Aldrich, Sidney Pollack, Paul Mazursky, and Robert Wise.    It wasn’t long before he evolved from being “the kid” on Hollywood soundstages to getting hired as the production assistant on Sidney Pollack’s This Property Is Condemned, where he quickly proved himself as someone who could “get it done.”   After a stint as a rock & roll road manager for iconic performers like The Supremes and The Dave Clark Five, Hawk returned to Hollywood as an assistant director on movies des

Philip Taylor has a unique show business history and track record. In this podcast interview, he describes his journey from a childhood in rural England to Hollywood sound stages, with dozens of writing and producing credits on some of TV’s most memorable hit shows. Taylor talks about his years of studying at London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, and recalls the thrill of performing Shakespeare on the international stage.  He then shares his experience “being in the right place at the right time”, and how he began writing scripts for hit TV shows. Not many TV writers have the ability to move between comedy and dramatic genres, but Philip has multiple  credits on both sides of the fence.   He’s written for shows as varied as . “Mork & Mindy”, “Murder, She Wrote”, “Eight is Enough”, “CPO Sharkey”, “Good Times”, and “Knight Rider”, demonstrating an unusual ability to move between half-hour sitcoms, hour dramas, two-hour longform TV movies, and feature films.  With great humor and plenty of behind-the-sce

Stuart Benjamin—a longtime family friend of Bob and Suzanne—shares the highlights and deteails of his award-winning career as a major film, television, music, and theatrical producer in this revealing podcast interview.     You’ll hear Stuart describe the path of a Harvard-educated lawyer who juggled two careers at once, working his “day job” as a partner in a prominent Los Angeles law firm and eventually discovering his true passion as the producer of high-quality motion picture and musical entertainment.      With college classmate and film director Taylor Hackford, Stuart formed New Visions, Inc. and produced some of the most memorable feature films of his generation.   Their first short film production, Teenage Father, earned Hackford an Oscar and threw open the gates of Hollywood studios as the pair delivered critical and commercial hits like Against All Odds, White Nights, La Bamba, and Everybody’s All-American, working with stellar casts that included Jeff Bridges, Rachel Ward, Mikhail Baryshnikov, H

Listen in as Bob & Suzanne talk to actor David Selby about his life and starring roles on stage, screen, and television.   David describes his childhood in rural West Virginia, and his discovery of “something inside” that drove him to become a serious student of acting. Having appeared in more than 70 stage productions—including starring roles in everything from Oklahoma, to The Crucible, to last year’s A Delicate Balance—David’s theatre work has been the backbone of an unparalleled TV and movie career. His first major television role as “Quentin” on Dark Shadows made David a huge fan favorite.  From there, he jumped into feature films, starring in The Super Cops and playing opposite Barbra Streisand in Up the Sandbox.  Always in demand by Hollywood casting directors, David’s hundreds of acting credits include The Waltons, Police Woman, Raise the Titanic, Mad Men, The Social Network, and the soon-to-be-released Equals, with Twilight’s Kristen Stewart. When David joined Bob on Falcon Crest to play opposit

This interview features acclaimed film scoring mixer Dennis Sands as he talks about his rise to the highest ranks of “behind the scenes” Hollywood legends. Dennis describes his first gig working at MGM Recording Studios as we learn the true meaning of “working your way up from the bottom” and of being in the right place at the right time...if only by always being there.  As Dennis tells his story of becoming a recording engineer for major artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Count Basie, Big Joe Turner, and Sarah Vaughn, and then to his founding Hollywood’s Group IV Recording Studio you’ll learn how dedication to his craft, and “being a nice person” have been the keys to his amazing career. You can actually feel the love Dennis has for his work when he describes the collaborative energy he shares with composers like Alan Silvestri, John Williams, and Danny Elfman...as well as with film directors like Tim Burton and Robert Zemeckis. The conversation touches upon some of the more than 300 major featur

One of Hollywood’s iconic screen beauties, Diane McBain was headed for major stardom before she had even finished high school.  In this revealing interview, she provides a candid look into her life before, during, and after her years of major film and television stardom. Raised as a child within sight of Hollywood Boulevard’s klieg lights, Diane quickly went from winning teen beauty contests, acting in neighborhood theater productions, working through high school as a magazine cover girl, her first day on the set of Father Knows Best, and being cast in Ice Palace, a major motion picture starring Richard Burton...all before she was 18 years old! Diane pulls no punches as she describes life as a Warner Brothers contract player, how she handled the allure of stardom while still finishing high school, and the sacrifices she made for a career that “fell into her lap”.  She talks about her first on-screen kiss and the hectic life of an actress working non-stop on TV series like Maverick, Sugarfoot, Bourbon Street B

This episode features Bob and Suzanne having a free-wheeling up-tempo conversation with "Falcon Crest" actress Ana Alicia, as she holds nothing back in telling her very personal story. Ana’s story—of a girl born in Mexico, raised in El Paso, educated at Wellesley on full scholarship, and determined to follow her acting dreams even while going to law school—is an inspiring lesson for anyone thinking about a career on stage or in front of the camera. From her initial creative “break” as a finalist in a grammar school poetry contest, as a teenager she jumped into in school plays and found her true calling as an artist.  She was soon involved in the world of local dinner theater, and while still going to law school (“trying to be practical”) turned the challenge of finding a Hollywood agent on its ear. She describes her first screen test—and why she wore a casting director’s sweater over her own clothes—and how that propelled her into a starring role on Ryan’s Hope at the age of 20. This fast-paced conversation

This high-energy conversation tells the story of an ambitious kid with zero show business “connections” who became one of Hollywood’s most prolific and successful television movie producers: Bruce Sallan.     Bruce’s inspiring story takes us from a film class at UCLA and into pitch meetings at the major television networks...then into casting sessions at Hollywood’s biggest studios...and on to film locations around the world with some of the biggest celebrity stars of our time.      With more than 24 major television movies to his credit—all inspired by his personal commitment to telling the best stories with a redeeming social value—Bruce enjoyed a remarkable 25-year career on the highest rungs of the Hollywood ladder.  He’s one of those rare talents who moved easily between high-level jobs at production companies, movie studios, and television networks.      In this rapid-fire, free-wheeling conversation, Bruce doesn’t pull any punches as he recalls his work with stars like Bruce Dern, Barbara Hershey, Al

Melissa Sue Anderson became an internationally-recognized television star at the age of eleven and remains a fan favorite for her long-running portrayal of “Mary Ingalls” on Little House on the Prairie.  In this revealing and very personal conversation, Melissa shares details of her life as a child actor who broke into the business because—in spite of her confessed shyness—“it sounded like fun”. Melissa’s innate sense of humor is evident as she shares with Bob and Suzanne the anxieties of auditioning for network executives, producers, and directors…all the while competing with other talented kids like Jodie Foster.   But Melissa apparently had “that special something” that sold well on the tube, because by the time she was cast in her first television role on The Brady Bunch, she had dozens of on-air commercials to her credit. Throughout the podcast Melissa delivers the impressions of a 10-year old working on Hollywood’s sound stages where she was surprised to find that “things were so fake.”  She descri

From his early days in small town New England as an "electronics nerd", always tinkering with the family record player and stereo receiver, David Gray's professional career began as the guy repairing damaged speakers at the local drive-in movie theater for pocket change piecemeal wages.  David was an entrepreneurial "hippy" in college, promoting campus concerts and booking up-and-coming folk singers and rock bands...who all depended on his sound system technical skills.  While still in college, 19-year old David found himself on a national tour with The Kinks, where one of his jobs was repairing the band's beer-drenched sound gear. In this podcast, you'll learn what it takes to actually make a world-wide Rock & Roll tour a reality, as David recalls his gigs as concert tour sound engineer for Mahuvishnu Orchestra, Steely Dan, Linda Rondstadt, The Kinks, and Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention. David tips his hat to the live performance talents of  The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, and shares the reason w

Bob & Suzanne have a candid and free-wheeling conversation with Paul Petersen, once a child actor and pop music teen idol, now a prominent social activist and prolific novelist, and the driving force behind "A Minor Consideration" working on behalf of young performers everywhere.   Breaking into show business as one of the original Mousketeers on Disney’s Mickey Mouse Club, Petersen went on to a co-starring role on one of the most iconic television series of all time, The Donna Reed Show, playing what he describes as “the classic gap-toothed wisecracking younger brother”.   Paul recalls the professional acting lessons he learned performing opposite movie greats Cary Grant and Sophia Loren in Houseboat, and then from Emmy-winner Carl Betz and Oscar-winner Donna Reed on The Donna Reed Show.  He then shares the gritty real-world of Hollywood studio casting when The Donna Reed Show went off the air after eight years, and he suddenly went from young star to struggling actor.    Articulate and painf

From television, to movies, to hit records...Shelley Fabares has done it all, and she continues to do so with unmatched grace, humility, and instinctive talent.  One of Hollywood’s most enduring and  beloved leading ladies, Shelley openly shares the details of her childhood as a department store “fashion model”, and how that led to her first television appearance at the age of 10. In constant onscreen demand from an early age, she appeared in more than 50 television series, from early classics like Annie Oakley to her breakthrough role on The Donna Reed Show. Shelley shares memories of her eight years playing “Mary Stone” and working closely with TV legends Donna Reed, Paul Petersen, and Carl Betz, and then describes the unique experience of becoming an international teen idol with the release of her #1 hit recording of Johnny Angel.  As the only female co-star to appear in three of Elvis Presley's movies (Clambake, Girl Happy and Spinout), Shelley describes what it was like meeting “the King” f

Michael Sloan was born into a British theatrical family and raised amid the smell of greasepaint and the sound of applause.   Bob and Suzanne’s conversation with Michael starts with his youth as a budding actor and his early adventures writing and producing his own independent feature films.  Michael’s story then demonstrates his unique creative instincts as he describes how he got his first major primetime television break writing for Columbo, a credit that propelled him toward a meteoric career path at Universal City Studios and beyond.   Sloan’s credits soon ranged from BJ & The Bear (where he gave Bob his first primetime writing gig) and Quincy to McCloud, Battlestar Gallactica, Sword of Justice, and The Return of The Man From Uncle... to name only a few of hundreds!  His was the producing and writing “juice” behind unforgettable shows like Kung Fu: The Legend Continues and the contemporary Alfred Hitchcock Presents.   And as if his hundreds of writing and producing credits weren’t enough, Michael wa

Suzanne and Bob reveal the latest news about their new book, Where Hollywood Hides: Santa Barbara Celebrities in Paradise, and then talk to award-winning Hollywood producer Dennis Brown. Dennis tells a uniquely personal story that saw him go from “small town boy” to a studio accounting department, and then to the pinnacle of Hollywood success...with career highlights along the way that include getting hired by Grant Tinker (who would later build MTM Productions with his wife Mary Tyler Moore), surviving the destruction of United Artists Studio by  Michael Cimino's Heaven’s Gate, and eventually being nominated for an Emmy. During the course of his amazing career, Dennis has supervised multiple Academy Award and Emmy Award-winning projects, has shot film on every continent on the planet.  The major stars he’s worked with include Jerry Seinfeld, Lindsay Wagner, Farrah Fawcett, Liza Minelli, Tom Selleck, Burt Lancaster, Peter Fonda, Leonard Nimoy... and  in this interview, you’ll learn which actor holds a