CooperTalk

Robert Beltran - Episode 480

Steve Cooper talks with actor Robert Beltran. Robert is best known for his role of Commander Chakotay which he played for 7 seasons on Star Trek: Voyager. He got his acting start in the movie Zoot Suit and since then has been seen in Eating Raoul, Lone Wolf McQuade, Night of the Comet, Bugsy and Nixon to name a few. His TV credits include co-starring in Models Inc., recurring in Big Love and guest starring on numerous shows such as Miami Vice, Murder She Wrote, Midnight Caller, CSI: Miami, Medium and many others.

Sponsored by Café Valet. Go to www.cafevalet.com and enter the coupon code COOPER for $5 off the Starter Combo Pack. 

 

Kathe Mazur - Episode 479

Steve Cooper talks with actor Kathe Mazur. Kathe is best known for her role as Deputy DA Hobbs, formerly on The Closer and now appearing in The Closer's spin-off series: Major Crimes. She has also been a series regular on Fox’s Misery Loves Company and has appeared on countless other shows including Grey’s Anatomy, Brothers and Sisters, Alias, Monk , Private Practice, ER, Frasier, Close to Home, Judging Amy and Charmed. As an audiobook narrator she has recorded over 100 titles for Random House Audio, Audible.com, Harper, Blackstone, Tantor, Skyboat, and others. Her recording of the book QUIET: The Power of Introverts In a World That Can't Stop Talking was named a Best Audiobook of 2012 by AudioFile Magazine, and was also named Best Non-Fiction Audiobook of 2012 by Audible.com and her recording of Sharon Sala's Don't Cry For Me was nominated for the Audie Award in the Romance Category for 2012. 

Sponsored by Café Valet. Go to www.cafevalet.com and enter the coupon code COOPER for $5 off the Starter Combo Pack. 

Carl LaBove - Episode 478

Steve Cooper talks with comic Carl LaBove. Carl is an original founding member of "The Outlaws of Comedy", His powerful approach to stand up comedy has been filling theaters and clubs for over 30 years. At age nineteen he discovered stand up comedy with the man who would become his best friend, Sam Kinison. Together the two founded a Rock & Roll Comedy concept that would earn Billboard Magazines "Top Tour" honors by selling out theaters across the country for 5 straight years. Skyrocketing to the biggest performance stages in the country as a founding member of "The Outlaws" in the late 80’s, and early 90's, he would establish himself as an unparalleled comedic force during the biggest comedy boom of the last fifty years. Twenty years after The Outlaws, he continues to sellout venues and amaze audiences from coast to coast. His credits that include The Tonight Show, HBO, Showtime, two comedy CD's, a concert DVD for Journey Records and much more.

Sponsored by Café Valet. Go to www.cafevalet.com and enter the coupon code COOPER for $5 off the Starter Combo Pack. 

Mike Young - Episode 477

Steve Cooper talks with writer/director/comic Mike Young. Mike has written and directed the movies A Stand Up Guy and My Man is a Loser. He is the creator and host of the “Young American Comedy Tour,” an international tour showcasing stand-up comedians. After performing at the Montreal Comedy Festival, Mike developed sitcoms with Warner Bros. and ABC. As a writer, Young has written a one-hour for HBO, the feature film Quad and is currently developing with Anthony Zuiker. Mike has been seen on Last Call with Carson Daly, Live Nude Comedy on Showtime and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.

Sponsored by Café Valet. Go to www.cafevalet.com and enter the coupon code COOPER for $5 off the Starter Combo Pack.

Ivor Davis - Episode 476

Steve Cooper talks with writer Ivor Davis. Ivor first came to America in the early sixties and was appointed West Coast correspondent for the 4-million-a-day circulation London Daily Express in l963. His first big assignment came the following year: to hang out, travel with and get to know the four members of a new pop group from Liverpool who were tearing up the world with their music: the Beatles. Over more than four decades as a writer for the Express and the Times of London, he covered major events in North America. He penned a weekly entertainment column for the New York Times Syndicate for over 15 years, interviewing some of the biggest names in show business, from Cary Grant to Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton to Tom Cruise and Muhammad Ali. He also covered Robert Kennedy’s 1968 presidential bid and was in the Ambassador Hotel the night Kennedy was assassinated and was one of the Boys on the Bus chronicling the life of actor-turned-politician Ronald Reagan, first in his campaign for governor of California, then for president. In l969 he co-wrote Five to Die, the first book ever published about the Sharon Tate murders. (The book was updated in 2011.)  As a foreign correspondent, he traveled throughout the western hemisphere covering riots, floods, earthquakes and politics. As Editor at Large for Los Angeles Magazine. he and his late wife Sally Ogle Davis wrote over 100 major magazine and cover stories and has reported on four World Soccer Cups for CBS radio.

Sponsored by Café Valet. Go to www.cafevalet.com and enter the coupon code COOPER for $5 off the Starter Combo Pack.

Phil Rosenthal - Episode 475

Steve Cooper talks with writer/host Phil Rosenthal. Phil is best known for being creator, writer and executive producer for Everybody Loves Raymond which he won 2 Emmys for. He also has written for the shows such as Coach, Baby Talk and The Man in the Family. He recently directed the documentary Exporting Raymond and is the host of the PBS series about food and travel titled I'll Have What Phil's Having.  

Sponsored by Café Valet. Go to www.cafevalet.com and enter the coupon code COOPER for $5 off the Starter Combo Pack.

 

Vanessa Cloke - Episode 474

Steve Cooper talks with actor Vanessa Cloke. Vanessa recently appeared in the Oscar nominated movie The Big Short. She has also guest starred on various TV series such as Treme, NCIS: New Orleans, Satisfaction, Wild Card, The Walking Dead, Powers and American Horror Story and was a series regular on USA's Common Law and can be seen in the soon to be released horror movie Mind Puppets.

Sponsored by Café Valet. Go to www.cafevalet.com and enter the coupon code COOPER for $5 off the Starter Combo Pack.

Brian Scolaro - Episode 473

Steve Cooper talks with comic/actor Brian Scolaro. Brian is most known for his appearances on Conan, his half hour Comedy Central special Comedy Central Presents: Brian Scolaro, as Doug on Sullivan and Son, and as Stuart on FOX’s Stacked. He has had recurring roles on Kroll Show, Life and Times of Tim, Wizards of Waverly Place and has had guest roles on such shows as Bones, Dexter, Mad Men, Grey's Anatomy, Harry's Law, Men of a Certain Age, The Middle and many other programs and films. He has also done stand up on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Gotham Comedy Live and Comics Unleashed.

Sponsored by Café Valet. Go to www.cafevalet.com and enter the coupon code COOPER for $5 off the Starter Combo Pack.

Matt Price - Episode 472

Steve Cooper talks with actor/writer Matt Price. Matt has appeared on stage at UCB in many shows including ASSSCAT, Fucked Up & Illegal Videos, The Jersey Shore Recap Party, and Harold Night. He also produced and hosted a monthly storytelling show called Show & Tell and has performed at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, the Toyota Comedy Festival in NYC, SketchFest in San Francisco, and the Chicago Improv Festival. As an actor, one of his favorite roles was playing Lawrence for two seasons on TNT's critically acclaimed Men of a Certain Age. Other appearances include The Office, Hart of Dixie,1600 Penn, The West Wing, Arrested Development, Reno 911, New Girl, The League and many others. He currently writes for Regular Show on the Cartoon Network for which he won an Emmy in 2012 and has also written for Comedy Central's Root of All Evil with Lewis Black as well as various shows on the television. 

Sponsored by Café Valet. Go to www.cafevalet.com and enter the coupon code COOPER for $5 off the Starter Combo Pack.

  

Paul Provenza - Episode 471

Steve Cooper talks with comic/actor/writer/producer/director Paul Provenza. Paul has been producing the hit live show Setlist that has been performed around the world in clubs and festivals. Some of the top comics from different countries perform a stand-up set not knowing the topics before they hit the stage. He is a very accomplished comic with over 100 TV appearances including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Show with David Letterman. He also is a director helming the hit documentary The Aristocrats and currently working on a new film. A man of many talents he hosted the Showtime series The Green Room, co-wrote the book Satiristas: Comedians, Contrarians, Raconteurs & Vulgarians and has starred in many movies & television shows including Northern Exposure and Fixing Frank.

Sponsored by Café Valet. Go to www.cafevalet.com and enter the coupon code COOPER for $5 off the Starter Combo Pack.

Judge Tanya Acker - Episode 470

Steve Cooper talks with lawyer Tanya Acker. Tanya is an attorney and civil litigator and is best known as one of three judges on CBS Television Distribution’s new syndicated court program Hot Bench created by Judge Judy Sheindlin. She is an attorney at a Los Angeles law firm and is an experienced civil litigator who also advises clients on various transactional issues on pre-litigation conflict resolution. She has represented a wide array of clients, from major automobile manufacturers in high stakes product liability litigation to media companies in hotly contested trade secret impulses. She is also an experienced television commentator and has been featured on Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, The O'Reilly Factor, Larry King Live, CNN Reports, Anderson Cooper 360, Extra, Your World With Neil Cavuto, CNBC Reports and many others and she guest co-hosted CNBC's Power Lunch.  

Ron Yavnieli - Episode 469

Steve Cooper talks with comic/voice actor/writer/animator Ron Yavnieli. Ron trained at Cal Arts and Syracuse University and has worked with companies like Funny or Die, Bento Box, Disney, Warner Brothers, Machinima, Nintendo, College Humor, Nickelodeon and Nerdist over the years and continues producing original content. His original films have won awards at Worldfest Houston, Worldfest Flagstaff, Dogfest, The Toronto Jewish Film Festival, and The Miami Animation Festival. Ron co-created several cartoons for Yahoo's 'Sketchy' channel including the viral hit Disney/Star Wars Corporate Retreat which won Best Narrative Short at The 2013 Animation Block Party. He currently is the creator and executive producer of Gorillaville on DreamworksTV which is in it's second season.

Shawn Ryan - Episode 468

Steve Cooper talks with TV writer Shawn Ryan. Shawn is best known for creating the hit FX series The Shield. He got his start in television when he entered and won the Norman Lear Playwriting award sponsored by Columbia Pictures Television (which has become Sony). Later he was a staff writer on the show Nash Bridges and served as a writer/producer on Angel. He was also the show runner for season 2 of Fox's Lie to Me and was the show runner and executive producer of FX's Terriers. He created the crime drama The Chicago Code and in 2012, his pilot Last Resort got picked up by ABC for the fall. His current project is the series Mad Dogs which can be streamed on Amazon.

Bruce Baum - Episode 467

Steve Cooper talks with comic Bruce Baum. Bruce became part of a small cadre of comedians performing at the Comedy Store in the 1970's that included David Letterman, Robin Williams and Jay Leno - a crew of comedians that ignited the comedy boom that began in the 1980's and continues today. Many of those comedians appeared in his student films and/or also appeared in his videos and short films while he was at Fox-TV as resident short film maker for Sunday Comics and Comic Strip Live and two more years on ABC's America's Funniest People. He also served as creative consultant on Whose Line Is It Anyway for three season and has, amongst other things, appeared on The Simpsons as himself, Hollywood Squares, Full House, Growing Pains, Comedy Central, HBO, Showtime and Make Me Laugh.

Mackenzie Phillips - Episode 466

Steve Cooper talks with actor Mackenzie Phillips. Mackenzie is an actress and singer best known for her roles in American Graffiti and as rebellious teenager Julie Cooper on the sitcom One Day at a Time. She is most recently known for her role on Disney channel’s science – fiction show So Weird. Mackenzie is the daughter of John Phillips, lead singer of the 60s band, The Mamas and the Papas. As a troubled teen star, Phillips made several visits to rehab before getting sober. Mackenzie’s struggles with addiction have been well documented in her bestselling memoir High On Arrival and in the media. She now wishes to use her past experiences to help others and offer hope to individuals who are struggling with substance abuse and addiction. She is now working for the Pasadena Recovery Center as their Recovery and Treatment Advocate, running groups on a weekly basis.

Melinda Hill - Episode 465

Steve Cooper talks with comic/actor/writer Melinda Hill. Melinda created, wrote, produced and starred in the web series Romantic Encounters with Melinda Hill, which was selected to screen at LA Web Fest, was nominated for an LA Weekly Web Award for “best comedy series” and was an IndieWire Critic’s Pick for “best comedy web series.” She also created the web series All Growz Up with Melinda Hill and is currently doing a series with Maria Bamford for Funny or Die. She plays multiple characters on Adventure Time (including Doctor Princess) and is the other half of the viral hit Confessions of a Tooth Fairy with Kristen Wiig. Other TV/ film appearances include Comedy Central’s Pretend Time with Nick Swardson, Reno 911, Sarah Silverman Program, Important Things with Demetri Martin, Bill Maher’s Bright Day, The Winner, Frank TV, Glory Daze, and Chris Kattan’s Bollywood Hero. Her stand up has been featured on Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Bonnie Hunt Show, BBC’s World Stands Up, NESN’s Comedy All Stars, Comics Unleashed, Who Wants To Date a Comedian, Stand Up In Stilettos ABC and when she hosted the series Comedy TV.

Bill Brochtrup - Episode 464

Steve Cooper talks with actor Bill Brochtrup. Bill was originally cast for just two episodes of NYPD Blue during the show's second season. However, when his splendid portrayal of P.A.A. John Irvin won over the show's producers and audience alike, he was invited to reprise the very same role in comedy series Public Morals and two years later he returned to NYPD Blue as Irvin, and continued to be a much-loved character for 8 seasons. His other TV roles include shows such as Murder, She Wrote, Dharma & Greg, Without a Trace, Dexter, Kendra plus recurring roles in Shameless and Major Crimes.

Rich Redmond - Episode 463

Steve Cooper talks with drummer Rich Redmond. Rich is an influential touring/recording drummer/percussionist based in Nashville, Tennessee and Los Angeles, California. His versatile, dynamic, and rock solid drumming is the sound behind many of today’s top talents.  While he’s not in the studio or on tour Rich is motivating others with his CRASH Course for Success a meticulously crafted program that anyone can follow to achieve success. As the drumming powerhouse behind Grammy nominated mega star Jason Aldean, he has recorded 17 #1 singles with over 7 million albums sold and well over 13 million single downloads. As a high-energy live showman, he plays sold out shows of 20-60,000 fans nightly in amphitheaters, arenas and stadiums across North America .A musical showman in the spirit of Gene Krupa, He has toured/recorded/performed with: Ludacris, Kelly Clarkson, Bryan Adams, Joe Perry, Jewel, Miranda Lambert, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Brantley Gilbert, John Eddie, Pam Tillis, Susan Ashton, Deana Carter, Kid Rock, Lauren Alaina, Trace Adkins, Randy Owens, Marty Stuart, Mindy McReady, Rushlow, Gene Watson, John Anderson, Doc Walker, Jedd Hughes, Patricia Conroy, Earl Thomas Conley, Hank Williams III, Emily West, Jo El Sonnier, Jim Brickman, Lee Brice, Steel Magnolia, The Stellas, Kevin Fowler and many others. He has also appeared many times on the trail of late night shows such as: The Voice, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, Conan, Jimmy Fallon, The Jimmy Kimmel Show, Craig Ferguson, Good Morning America, The Today Show, The Michael and Kelly Show, Ellen, Austin City Limits, The CMA Awards, The ACM Awards, The CMT Awards, The ACA Awards, numerous GAC and CMT Specials, and of course, The Grammy Awards.

Lombardo Boyar - Episode 462

Steve Cooper talks with actor Lombardo Boyar. Lombardo is set to return for his third season playing Navarro on the hit series Murder in the First. He  is a veteran of the US Army and was part of the 82nd Airborne Division. After he got out he decided to pursue acting. Some of his earlier notable performances include a brief part as convenience-store robber Ramon Garcia on Fox's 24, a starring role as burglar Eddie Tesoro in P.S. Your Cat is dead, his live-action performance as Sergio del Rio on Steven Bochco's Over There and guesting on a semi-regular basis as Chuy on The Bernie Mac Show. He has lent his voice to the movies Happy Feet and Happy Feet 2 and many other projects. He was one of the stars of The Joe Schmo Show and has appeared in numerous shows such as Southland, Cold Case, NCIS, Shameless, Breakout Kings, The Player, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders and many others and has been seen in movies such as Some Kind of Beautiful, Big Ass Spider, Halfway to Hell and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. 

James DuMont - Episode 461

Steve Cooper talks with actor James DuMont. James is one of the busiest performers in & out Hollywood, working in both feature films and television. He recently was the supporting lead role of J. Parnell Thomas in the autobiographical feature, Trumbo opposite Bryan Cranston, directed by Jay Roach and as WB Nowlin in the Hank Williams bio-pic I Saw The Light opposite Tom Hiddleston as well as recurring for a 2nd season on the F/X series American Horror Story. His numerous movie credits include Dallas Buyer's Club, The Butler, Along Came Polly, Jurassic World, Speed, Miss Congeniality 2 and Catch Me If You Can. He is also a familiar face to TV having recurring or guest starring roles in countless series such as Treme, Men on a Certain Age, The West Wing, Cold Case, Zoo, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Ugly Betty, Bones, Grey's Anatomy, Harry's Law, Rizzoli & Isles, Mad Men and many more.  

Paul Carafotes - Episode 460

Steve Cooper talks with actor/writer Paul Carafotes. Paul returns to CooperTalk to chat about his Charlie Bubbles children book series and play a few songs off his new CD, Sing With Charlie Bubbles. He is also well known for playing Harold Dyer on Knots Landing and since then he has appeared in numerous movies including All the Right Moves, Clan of the Cave Bear, Blind Date and Fight Club to name a few. He has also been seen on many TV shows including Castle, ER, CSI, Without a Trace, Criminal Minds and played the Man in the Overcoat on Damages. A man of many talents, he wrote and directed Club Soda which starred starred James Gandolfini, Lou Gosset Jr., Joe Mantegna and Michael Rispoli.

Phillip P. Keene - Episode 459

Steve Cooper talks with actor Phillip P. Keene. Phillip traveled the world, had different careers and went to UCLA before he got into the acting world. One of his first roles was a small part in the hit TV show The Closer which led to being a regular on the show for 7 seasons. His character Buzz Watson then transitioned to the spin-off of that show, Major Crimes which he has been on for four seasons. He has also been nominated for four Screen Actor Guild awards. 

Eric Allan Kramer - Episode 458

Steve Cooper talks with actor Eric Allan Kramer. Eric is best known for his roles as Bob Duncan on Good Luck Charlie and as Dave Rogers on The Hughleys. He made his acting debut in the television film The Gunfighters. He also starred in the 1990 film Quest for the Mighty Sword and played Thor in The Incredible Hulk Returns. Among his other notable film roles are parts in Robin Hood: Men in Tights, American Wedding and True Romance. A familiar face to TV he has been seen in countless shows that include Seinfeld, Two and a Half Men, Wizards of Waverly Place, Growing Pains, Cheers, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Bob, NewsRadio, JAG, Roseanne, That 70's Show, Ellen, Monk, How I Met Your Mother, The King of Queens, My Name is Earl, Bones, Mike & Molly and NCIS: Los Angeles. 

Ed Asner - Episode 457

Steve Cooper talks with actor Ed Asner. Ed is a television legend, the winner of seven acting Emmy Awards and has been nominated 20 times for an Emmy Award, with 17 nods for a Primetime Emmy and three for the daytime award. He is primarily known for his roles as Lou Grant during the late 1970s and early 1980s on both The Mary Tyler Moore Show and it's spin-off series Lou Grant making him one of the few television actors to portray the same leading character in both a comedy and a drama. His career has spanned almost 60 years and he has acted in over 350 projects including ground breaking mini-series, Roots and Rich Man, Poor Man, has lent his voice to the Oscar winning Up and even played Santa Claus in the hit Christmas movie Elf.           

Sharon Lawrence - Episode 456

Steve Cooper talks with actor Sharon Lawrence. Sharon is best known as her role as Sylvia Costas Sipowicz on NYPD Blue that garnered her three Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. SHe got her start in acting on Broadway with a role in the revival of Cabaret and years later she returned to star in Chicago in the role of Velma Kelly. A familiar face to TV she has starred, co-starred or been a recurring character in countless series such as Cheers, Star Trek: Voyager, Fired Up, Ladies Man, Wolf Lake, Law & Order: SVU, Boston Legal, Desperate Housewives, Monk, Grey's Anatomy, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Mentalist, One Tree Hill, Drop Dead Diva, Rizzoli & Isles and Blunt Talk.

 

Wendy Liebman - Episode 455

Steve Cooper with comic Wendy Liebman. Wendy returns to CooperTalk for the fifth time. She has been doing stand-up for over 25 years and has been a regular on the Late Show with David Letterman and has appeared on the Tonight Show with both Johnny Carson and Jay Leno, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and Jimmy Kimmel Live! In addition she was the first comedian to appear on the Rosie O'Donnell Show and has done comedy specials for HBO, Comedy Central and Showtime. She has also performed or been seen on dozens upon dozens of various other TV shows, was recently seen on America's Got Talent and continues to headline across the country.

Mary Lynn Rajskub - Episode 454

Steve Cooper talks with actor/comic Mary Lynn Rajskub. Mary Lynn is best known for her iconic performance as Chloe on FOX’s 24, which she reprised on 24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY, the number-one rated show of 2014. She has also appeared in recurring arcs on 2 Broke Girls and Californication and has guest starred on various series including Modern Family, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Mentalist, Royal Pains, Grey's Anatomy, New Girl, Maron and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. She was a regular panelist on Chelsea Lately and is a familiar face to the big screen with credits such as Safety Not Guaranteed, The Kings of Summer, Little Miss Sunshine, Magnolia, Julie & Julia and Punch Drunk Love. Recently she has been touring as a  stand-up comic headlining at clubs across the country.

Heather McDonald - Episode 453

Steve Cooper talks with comic Heather McDonald. Heather  just debuted her first Showtime special I Don’t Mean To Brag, which achieved record ratings on the network and is currently streaming on Netflix. She gained a throng of loyal fans as a staff writer and for her regular roundtable appearances on E!’s top rated show ‘Chelsea Lately’. She also starred in After Lately, a mockumentary series on E! for 3 successful seasons. As an author, her debut book (released June 2010), You’ll Never Blue Ball in this Town Again, spent seven weeks on the New York Times best-seller list, and climbed to the #1 position on Amazon’s Bestsellers in Entertainment list. She released her follow up to Blue Balls in February 2013 titled MY INAPPROPRIATE LIFE: Some Material Not Suitable for Small Children, Nuns, or Mature Adults which also became a national bestseller. On top of being a full-time writer and story producer for Chelsea Lately, She has also been a regular collaborator with the Wayans Brothers; serving as a writer on their features White Chicks and Dance Flick and was a featured performer on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and has been a guest star on the hit television series Frasier, Malcolm in the Middle, Reno 911 and Nickelodeon’s Drake and Josh. 

Sunkrish Bala - Episode 452

Steve Cooper talks with actor Sunkrish Bala. Sunkrish is best known for his co-starring roles in The Walking Dead and Castle. He has starred in the sitcoms Notes from the Underbelly and I Just Want My Pants Back and recurred on such series as Awkward, Shameless, My Name is Earl and Barbershop. He has also guest starred on various shows including Bones, Grey's Anatomy, Criminal Minds, Damages, Brothers & Sisters, NCIS: Los Angeles, Body of Proof, Modern Family, Scorpion, Hot in Cleveland and NCIS. 

Eric Lange - Episode 451

Steve Cooper talks with actor Eric Lange. Eric started acting in commercial and his most high-profile gigs included playing Stuart Radzinsky on the hit ABC series Lost and the eccentric acting teacher Mr. Sikowitz on the Nickelodeon teen show Victorious. He also had a featured role on the short-lived CW series Cult and on the FX series The Bridge, where his character is the antagonist of the lead. He was recently in the movie Nightcrawler and has had guest spots on shows such as Castle, Touch, Grimm, Chuck, Weeds, Monk, Bones, My Name Is Earl, Criminal Minds, Boston Legal and many more. He is currently shooting the second season of Narcos.

John DiCrosta - Episode 450

Steve Cooper talks with comic John DiCrosta. John has been on mainstay on the comedy circuit for years. He has headlined all over the country and is a regular on cruise ships and in Las Vegas. Since being in LA he has become a very popular warm-up comic working the crowds of many shows including Politically Incorrect & Real Time with Bill Maher, Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, America's Funniest Videos, American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. He is also a very sought after voice over actor and has provided his talents for dozens of video games and various animated series on Nickelodeon and was Decepticon in the meg-hit move Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

 

    
      

John Matta - Episode 449

Steve Cooper talks with comedy writer John Matta. John is a friend of Steve Cooper's from the old Philly comedy circuit and makes his 3rd visit to the show this time to promote his book. Every day for 4 years he has hand drawn a one panel cartoon on a napkin and posted it on the web. After creating over 1,000 he’s partnered with Odd Charm Press to gather his work into the full-color collection: Matta Napkin… A Daily Comic… On A Napkin… In A Book. It’s a 300 napkin-y peek into his brilliantly irreverent world of zombie dieticians, paranoid flowers, hypno-sombreros, and ventriloquists in love. He has also been a comedy writer in Hollywood for over 20 years working on shows such as best known for his work on The Martin Short Show, Steve Harvey’s Big Time, Kid President: Declaration of Awesome, The Andy Dick Show, The Jamie Kennedy Experience, Beyond Batman and many more shows.

Tom Wright - Episode 448

Steve Cooper talks with actor Tom Wright. Tom has appeared in over 40 stage productions both on and off-Broadway. co-starred in the feature films Barbershop and Barbershop 2: Back in Business with Ice Cube. He also co-starred with Angela Bassett as her ex-lover in Sunshine State, his sixth film with writer/director John Sayles. The other Sayles films include: Passion Fish, City of Hope, Honeydripper, Matewan and The Brother from Another Planet. He has played roles on several television programs but is best known for playing Mr. Morgan, Yankees co-worker of character George Costanza on Seinfeld. Other guest starring or recurring roles include Criminal Minds, Granite Flats, Castle, The Mentalist, Franklin & Bash, Dark Blue, Rizzoli & Isles, Modern Family, Southland, Martial Law, Nip/Tuck, Numb3rs, Crash, 24, JAG, Cold Case, NCIS and many more 

Romy Rosemont - Episode 447

Steve Cooper talks with actor Romy Rosemont. Romy is best known for her role as Carole Hudson in the TV series Glee and as Jaqui Franco in CSI: Crime Investigation. She has had recurring roles in numerous series such as Resident Advisors, Secrets & Lies, Silicon Valley, The Fosters, Shark, Prison Break and many more. She has guest starred on various series including Scandal, Justified, The League, House of Lies, Boston Legal, Crossing Jordan, Friends with Money, Close to Home, Grey's Anatomy, Ghost Whisperer, Castle, Drop Dead Diva, Criminal Minds, In Plain Sight, Fringe, Ally McBeal, Nip/Tuck, American Crime Story, Major Crimes and Grimm. She is married to fellow actor Stephen Root.

Johnny Sneed - Episode 446

Steve Cooper talks with actor/drummer Johnny Sneed. Johnny launched his acting career through appearances in popular TV shows such as Friends and ER and later on landed a recurring role on The Guardian, where he played Brian Olson. His other television credits include being a regular on Unhitched a recurring character on Parks and Recreation and appearances on such shows as Master of Sex, The Mentalist, Hawaii Five-O, Shameless, Supernatural, Miss Match, Charmed , American Dreams, Judging Amy, Navy NCIS: Los Angeles, Boston Legal , House and Sleeper Cell . His movie credits include Trumbo, Love & Mercy, The Heartbreak Kid, Earthquake, Sleepover, First Daughter and Fever Pitch. He also plays drums with several bands in Los Angeles including Albert, Bandito Royale, Vaud and the Villains, Rusty De La Croix, Pool House and Sugar Fantastic.

Spencer Garrett - Episode 445

Steve Cooper talks with actor Spencer Garrett. Spencer returns to CooperTalk after a busy year where he was a regular on Satisfaction, Aquarius and Murder in the First and co-starred in All the Way playing Walter Reuther. He got introduced to the entertainment field at a young age, his mother was an actress and his father was a talent agent. After college he gravitated towards the industry and studied with the legendary teacher Sanford Meisner. Throughout his 25 year career he has consistently worked on many different projects. His various TV credits include Franklin & Bash, Masters of Sex, Star Trek: Voyager, Judging Amy, The Practice, The X-Files, Carnivale, JAG, Law & Order, Cold Case, Luck, Mad Men, Major Crimes and Satisfaction. He is also a familiar face on the big screen appearing is such movies as Yes Man, Mississippi is Burning, Charlie Wilson's War, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Thank You For Smoking and Public Enemies.

Dana Gourrier - Episode 444

Steve Cooper talks with actor Dana Gourrier. Dana holds a BFA in Performance Art from UL Lafayette and an MFA in Acting from California Institute of the Arts. The triple threat can be seen in recurring roles in some of the best programming being produced today; True Detective, American Horror Story, Togetherness, The Astronaut Wives Club, and Treme to name a few. Her feature credits include Lee Daniels' film The Butler and multiple films with Quentin Tarantino; Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight. She also sang the National Anthem in New Orleans when the Saints played the Cardinals.

Lee Brownstein - Episode 443

Steve Cooper talks with Lee Brownstein. Lee recently directed and co-wrote the hit movie Out West and also graduated high school with the CooperTalk host. Lee is equal parts Producer, Creative Director and Marketing Executive and applies a broad range of skills and experience acquired during his eclectic career to each and every project.  An originator of the widely copied MTV Editorial Style, he co-developed cable news network MSNBC, iconic sports show MTV Sports, TMZ TV, created The Entertainer for E! Networks and developed and produced groundbreaking Branded Digital series for Xbox, Doritos,  Gears of War, Halo and many others. He has worked on countless featurettes, promotional and image campaigns for major networks, agencies and brands receiving multiple Emmy, Monitor and Telly awards along the way recognizing his creative achievements.

John Prosky - Episode 442

Steve Cooper talks with actor John Prosky. John's numerous TV credits include Scandal, Major Crimes, NYPD Blue, ER, Heroes, Criminal Minds, True Blood, JAG, My So-Called Life, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The Practice, The X-Files, The West Wing, Charmed, 24, House, Grey's Anatomy, Veronica Mars, and Fringe. His film credits include The Nutty Professor, Bowfinger and A.I. Artificial Intelligence. He also contributed voice work to the L.A. Noire video game. He is the son of actor Robert Prosky and is very involved with Antaeus Theatre Company and also teaches acting to incarcerated men.

Darren Carter - Episode 441

Steve Cooper talks with comic Darren Carter. Darren returns to CooperTalk for the 5th time. He has performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Comics Unleashed, Premium Blend on Comedy Central, and as a supporting character in the 2005 feature film Be Cool with John Travolta. He debuted on the comedy scene in 1996 with an appearance on Showtime's Latino Laugh Festival followed by various stand-up performances and guest starring roles on television and in movies. He had his own Showtime special titled, That Ginger's Crazy. His first comedy CD was titled, Shady Side. His second comedy CD was called, That Ginger's Crazy. He was a guest star on the hit series, The Jamie Foxx Show. In addition to the movie, Be Cool, Darren was also in the movies Savage, Who Made the Potato Salad, Uncle P, Love Chronicles and Bobby Khan's Ticket to Hollywood. One of his stand-up pieces was also animated for a popular Darren Carter Baby Cartoon video on YouTube and he just released his new album Stay At Home Stripper.

Jessica Tuck - Episode 440

Steve Cooper talks with actor Jessica Tuck. Jessica best known for her performances on television as Megan Gordon Harrison on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live, Gillian Gray in the CBS drama series Judging Amy, and as Nan Flanagan on the HBO series, True Blood. She has appeared in a number of films, most notable are Secretary and Super 8. She also appeared in High School Musical 2, High School Musical 3 and Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure. During her career, she has made over 50 guest appearances on television shows, including Murder, She Wrote, Seinfeld, NYPD Blue, The Nanny, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Grey's Anatomy, Boston Legal, Castle, Private Practice, Revenge, Drop Dead Diva, and Scandal and had the recurring roles on Murder One, Sunset Beach, Saving Grace, Days of Our Lives, Grimm, and Twisted.

Steve Skrovan - Episode 439

Steve Cooper talks to Writer/Director Steve Skrovan. Steve has won two Emmys for Everybody Loves Raymond where he served as executive producer and writer. He has also held the same position for the show Hot In Cleveland, Til' Death and many others. He was a staff writer on Seinfeld and co-wrote and directed the documentary An Unreasonable Man which is about Ralph Nader and also directed the feature Fred & Vinnie. He got his start in comedy where he made many TV appearances in the early 90's. In the last few years he has developed Everybody Loves Raymond in Russia, Israel and most recently India. 

Chris Wyse - Episode 438

Steve Cooper talks with Chris Wyse. Chris stops by the studio with fellow Owl band member Jason Achilles Mezilis. You’ve definitely heard Chris's bass playing. It’s an inimitable, infectious rumble that has resounded through recordings from the likes of The Cult, Ozzy Osbourne, Mick Jagger, Tal Bachman, and countless others, as well as his own heavy alternative trio, Owl. Utilizing both electric upright bass and bass guitar, Wyse is a versatile, vibrant, vital player whose musicianship is as unique as it is unmistakable. He recently has been touring with Ace Frehley as well as writing songs and doing live shows with Owl. 

Rodney Allen Rippy - Episode 437

Steve Cooper talks with former child actor Rodney Allen Rippy. Rodney appeared in TV commercials for the fast-food chain Jack in the Box in the early 1970s, as well as in numerous roles in television and movies. In the advertisements, Rippy was seen trying to wrap his mouth around the super-sized Jumbo Jack hamburger. The tag line "It's too big to eat!" (pronounced "It's too big-a-eat!") became a catch-phrase. Another spot showed Rippy giggling while singing the song Take Life a Little Easier, which was released as a single by Bell Records in the fall of 1973 in the wake of the commercial's popularity. He subsequently had guest-roles in many popular television shows, including The Six Million Dollar Man, Marcus Welby, MD, Police Story, and The Odd Couple (where Rodney played the owner of the building where Oscar and Felix lived). He also appeared frequently on talk shows such as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and Dinah's Place with Dinah Shore and had a co-starring role on the CBS Saturday morning children's show The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine. He now is a partner in the film production company, Bow Tie Productions, and spokesman for Hurricane Housing Relief. He worked at KABC-TV in Los Angeles, California. A resident of Carson, California, he has served as Master of Ceremonies for the Carson Relay For Life. He is also a national director of marketing with Metro Networks.

Tony Amendola - Episode 436

Steve Cooper talks with actor Tony Amendola. Tony is an American actor who is best known for playing the Jaffa master Bra'tac in Stargate SG-1. Amendola is also known for his recurring role as revolutionary leader Edouard Kagame of Liber8 in the television show Continuum. He is currently playing a character on ABC's Once Upon a Time as Pinocchio's creator/father, Geppetto. Major movie roles include Blow, The Mask of Zorro and its sequel, The Legend of Zorro (as separate characters). His television guest appearances include Stargate SG-1, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Seinfeld, The Practice, Space: Above and Beyond, Charmed, The X Files, Angel, Alias, CSI, Star Trek: Voyager, She-Wolf of London, The West Wing, and the short lived show Kindred: The Embraced. He also appeared in Dexter where he played one of Dexter's mother's killers.

Anthony Azizi - Episode 435

Steve Cooper talks with actor Anthony Azizi. Anthony is mainly known for his television work. He has had recurring roles on 24 as terrorist Mamud Faheen (Season 2), on 24 as Rafique (Season 4) and on Commander in Chief as presidential aide Vince Taylor. He was also a regular on the short-lived television series Threat Matrix. He has also guest-starred on Single Ladies, Criminal Minds, CSI: Miami, JAG, Gilmore Girls, The Shield, Sons of Anarchy, NYPD Blue, The West Wing, Veronica Mars, Desperate Housewives, Lost, Prison Break, The Mentalist, Leverage, NCIS and Chuck. He also starred in the 2002 film Phobic and the 2008 thriller Eagle Eye. Recently he was a co-star of NBC's American Odyssey.

Todd Stashwick - Episode 434

Steve Cooper talks with actor Todd Stashwick. Todd started his career in improve in Chicago and then moved to New York. Soon work in television and film drew him to Los Angeles where he shot several pilots, series and recurring work. He has been seen in such films as You, Me and Dupree, Surfer Dude, The Air I breathe and Live!  Most notably he can be seen as Dale in the FX series The Riches opposite Minnie Driver and Eddie Izzard. Seasons 1 & 2 available on DVD. He also played the replicating carny Eli on NBC's hit series Heroes. He appeared on a fan favorite episode of the CW hit Supernatural portraying Bela Lugosi's Dracula which has gotten him invited to conventions here and in the UK. His career has been varied between both comedy and drama, playing villains and monsters in shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Boston Legal, Star Trek: Enterprise and all the Law & Order incarnations as well as Still Standing, Dharma and Greg, Will and Grace and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Most recently he was a recurring character on The Originals and currently is co-starring on the series 12 Monkeys.

Bruce Nozick - Episode 433

Steve Cooper talks with actor Bruce Nozick. Bruce has been acting for over 30 years and has amassed over a hundred credits. Some of his movie appearances include The Wanderers, The Souler Opposite, Mystery Alaska, Along Came Polly, God Bless America and Hurt. His numerous television appearances include guest starring on popular series such as E.R., Ally McBeal, Judging Amy, Without a Trace, Six Feet Under, Entourage, Days of Our Lives, Bones, Criminal Minds, Weeds, Hawaii Five-O, Franklin & Bash and The Last Ship.

Scott Lowell - Episode 432

Steve Cooper talks with actor Scott Lowell. Scott is best known for his role as Ted Schmidt in Showtime’s popular and critically acclaimed Queer as Folk for which he was twice nominated for a Prism Award. He moved to Los Angeles in 1998 and quickly found himself busy in a number of successful commercial campaigns, guest roles on sit-coms and a lead in a sci-fi television film. He has appeared on stage at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, A Noise Within, Pasadena Playhouse, The Furious Theatre Company, Artists Repertory Theatre (Portland,OR), in a number of independent films and on the television series Bones where he has appeared as Dr. Douglas Filmore in multiple episodes as well as many other series including CSI, Castle, CSI: NY, Heroes, NCIS, Criminal Minds and Leverage. He also has various voices in the animated series American Dad and recently appeared on Broadway and in London with Bradley Cooper in the stage production of The Elephant Man. 

Joanna Going - Episode 431

Steve Cooper talks with actor Joanna Going. Joanna appeared in soap opera roles in the late 1980s, most notably as Lisa Grady on Another World from 1987 to 1989. She went on to portray lead character Victoria Winters on the 1991 primetime series Dark Shadows. She later starred in short-lived television series Going to Extremes and guest-starred on Columbo, Spin City, The Outer Limits, and Law & Order. She has also starred in the number of feature films. She made her film debut in Wyatt Earp and later had major roles in Eden, Keys to Tulsa, Inventing the Abbotts, and Still Breathing. Her biggest role may be in the 1998 film version of Phantoms. In the 2000s, she starred in several television films and guest-starred on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Criminal Minds, and Mad Men. She also appeared opposite Sean Penn in the 2011 film The Tree of Life, her first role in a major motion picture since 2003's Runaway Jury. In 2014, Going starred as First Lady Tricia Walker in the second season of Netflix political series House of Cards. She later was cast in the DirecTV series Kingdom.