The Staffa Corner | Celebrity Interviews & Entertainment Insights

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From the Jersey Shore to Hawaii’s North Shore, Jason Bitzer has built a life around the water. On this episode of The Staffa Corner Podcast, Jason joins Greg Staffa to share how professional bodyboarding and lifeguarding helped shape his work as a stunt performer and water safety specialist. He explains the difference between catching a wave for yourself and entering dangerous surf to save someone else, and how those experiences taught him to make critical decisions under pressure.

Jason also takes us behind the scenes of aquatic stunt work, where creating convincing danger requires preparation, trust, and knowing when to stop filming. Beyond production, he discusses his Never Off Duty initiative to help prevent drownings and his book, In the Wake of Technology, which explores how Hawaii’s communities might come together in a crisis. It’s a conversation about staying curious, learning new skills, and looking out for others.

Check out his book ISO: In the Wake of Technology on Amazon HERE

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Actor Ian Lyons joins Greg Staffa to talk about his unexpected path into acting and his work in The Holdovers and Dexter: New Blood. He shares how a small part on Sabrina the Teenage Witch changed his direction and why finding success after 40 worked for him.

Ian also recalls working with David Hyde Pierce on Julia and sharing a set with Meryl Streep and Leonardo DiCaprio on Don’t Look Up. It’s a candid conversation about handling rejection, enjoying the work, and staying grounded through family and humor.

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Erica Hubbard joins The Staffa Corner for what almost became one of the shortest episodes in show history. She passionately came out swinging for her Chicago baseball teams, a clear jab at my Minnesota Twins! Thankfully, I was willing to put that injustice behind me so we could explore her amazing career, from A Cinderella Story and Lincoln Heights to Let’s Stay Together, along with her work as a producer, writer, and director.

Beyond the screen, Erica shares her passion for mentoring young people through the Erica Hubbard Foundation and helping others find opportunities to succeed. We also discuss her Chicago roots, her approach to storytelling, and why collaboration matters both on set and in life. It’s a conversation full of laughter, perspective, and purpose, even if her baseball loyalties need some work. GO Twins!

Follow ATwist to find out more and view King of the South

Follow Erica on Instagram HERE

Learn more about the Erica Hubbard Foundation Here

https://www.instagram.com/atwistofficial/

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Sound designer and supervising sound editor Dashen “Dash” Naidoo joins me on The Staffa Corner Podcast to explore the sound behind Trap and Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. From building terrifying zombie voices to balancing concert crowds with quiet tension, Dash reveals how carefully chosen sounds shape a story and pull audiences into its world.

I love highlighting the creative people whose contributions too often go unnoticed, and Dash offers a fascinating look at this essential part of filmmaking. We discuss how Back to the Future sparked his imagination, why a creaky studio door became worth recording, and how remaining a student of his craft keeps him inspired.

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Sound designer and supervising sound editor George Flores joins me on The Staffa Corner Podcast to explore the sounds that bring movies to life. I love his passion for his craft as he takes us through dialogue editing, Foley, and the creativity behind sound design for independent films.

Our conversation also serves as a reminder that we too often focus on Hollywood and forget that countries around the world are making films and television shows of their own. George offers a fascinating look at that broader filmmaking community and the sound professionals whose work helps bring those stories to life.

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On this episode of The Staffa Corner Podcast, I welcome actor David Webster, known for playing young Elliot in The Way Home. David shares how a childhood theater production in Sudbury, Ontario, opened the door to acting, why an ambitious pilot that never aired still changed his life, and how his parents’ support helped him navigate auditions, rejection, and the decision to pursue acting as a career.

We also explore David’s passion for screenwriting and the surprising creative freedom he found on The Way Home, including the opportunity to rewrite a pivotal scene’s dialogue. From the challenges of bringing Canadian stories to international audiences to his hopes for his own feature screenplay, David offers a thoughtful look at finding his voice both on camera and on the page.

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Actress and producer Kelsey Bunner joins The Staffa Corner Podcast to share her journey from community theater in small-town Illinois to working on both sides of the camera. She reflects on her Shakespeare and Second City training, appearing on Chicago Fire, and the unexpected opportunities that followed her move to Los Angeles just as the pandemic began.

Kelsey also takes us behind the scenes of The Carbonaro Effect and discusses the challenges of independent filmmaking in a crowded streaming world. With humor and honesty, she shares how she handles rejection, takes creative risks, and stays excited about the stories she hopes to bring to life.

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Actor Dar Dixon joins The Staffa Corner Podcast to share a life story that stretches from leaving Iran before the revolution to surviving a doomsday cult and building a career in Hollywood. In a candid conversation, Dar explains how manipulation draws people in gradually, and why intelligence offers no guarantee against it.

Dar also reflects on rebuilding his life, navigating Hollywood’s casting expectations, and confronting his past through the HBO docuseries Bring Me the Beauties and his upcoming memoir, The Walk-In. With humor and honesty, he shares what recovery taught him about identity, vulnerability, and finding peace with his own story.

Check out his website here

Check out HBO Max "Bring Me the Beauties" Here

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One of the joys of film and television is discovering that great storytelling happens all over the world. The Staffa Corner Podcast gives a voice to people doing amazing work beyond Hollywood, and this episode is one of those conversations. Film and television editor Gadi Mozes joins Greg Staffa to share his journey from Israel to Montreal and explore how editors turn hours of footage into stories that connect across cultures.

From attending film school near Gaza, where bomb shelter alarms interrupted classes, to finding the heart of a documentary or the rhythm of a comedy, Gadi offers a perspective shaped by both his craft and his experiences. He discusses the differences between editing scripted films and documentaries, the responsibility of telling someone else’s story, and why small, character-driven stories can reveal so much about the world.

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Actress Paige Bourne joins me to talk about appearing on Chicago P.D., Chicago Med, and Chicago Fire. She shares what it was like stepping onto those established sets and how much thought can go into a role with only one line.

We also discuss her path from Shakespeare and theater to improv and on-camera acting, the ups and downs of auditioning, and why she keeps pushing herself to try things that scare her.

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Director David Winning joins the Staffa Corner to talk about the Super 8 camera that started his filmmaking journey and the determination it took to make his first feature, Storm. He shares how that early experience led to a career directing science fiction, horror, family television and Hallmark movies.

David also looks back on Stargate Atlantis, Van Helsing, Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie and working with a young Ryan Gosling on Breaker High. Along the way, he explains why he still approaches each set with the excitement he felt as a kid making movies with his friends.

Check out his website HERE

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Sound designer and editor Colin Ryley joins Greg Staffa to reveal how sound helps bring movies and television shows to life. He explains the work behind Foley, dialogue replacement, sound effects, background noise, and the countless audio details audiences often never realize were recreated during post-production.

Ryley also discusses his journey from music to film and television, the creativity required to invent convincing sounds, and the differences between working on horror, live-action projects, and animated series. He also shares stories from his work on projects including Super Team Canada, ZOMBIES: The Re-Animated Series, and Dr. Seuss’s Red Fish, Blue Fish.

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Emmy-winning production designer Mark Hofeling joins The Staffa Corner Podcast to discuss his career and the creative process behind building the memorable worlds audiences see on screen.

Mark shares stories from his work on High School Musical, Descendants, Zombies, and The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, while explaining how practical sets, collaboration, and imagination bring each production to life.

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Actor, director, and acting coach Dean Armstrong joins The Staffa Corner Podcast to discuss his journey from growing up in Owen Sound, Ontario, to performing in Rent on Broadway and landing his breakout role as Blake Wyzecki on Queer as Folk. Armstrong reflects on how a character originally intended for only two episodes became part of a five-season story, the responsibility of portraying addiction honestly, and the lessons he now shares with actors through Armstrong Acting Studios. He also explains why self-taped auditions can give performers greater control over their work and help turn even a small role into something much bigger.

Armstrong also takes listeners behind the scenes of Reacher Season 4 and his role as the relentless Foster. He discusses repeatedly getting beaten by Reacher, the season’s darkly funny and brutal action sequences, and whether Foster’s story is really finished. The conversation includes spoilers for Reacher Season 4, along with Armstrong’s candid thoughts on acting, creativity, rejection, and the constantly evolving identity of an artist.

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Actress Casey Gardner joins Greg Staffa to discuss growing up in Kansas City, moving to Los Angeles to study acting at USC, and the realities of pursuing a career in Hollywood. She shares what she learned from working on short films, navigating rejection, and overcoming moments of self-doubt and imposter syndrome.

Gardner also discusses representation in the entertainment industry, her dream of starting a production company, and the importance of building a stronger community for actors. She also shares details about her upcoming film Gettysburg 1863 and the award-winning Paper Flowers.

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Celebrity guests may get the clicks, but hundreds of people can go into making the films and television shows we love. The Staffa Corner Podcast loves putting a spotlight on some of those other voices whose work has a profound impact on the industry. Production designer John Dondertman is one of them, responsible for helping create everything audiences see on screen, from locations and everyday rooms to superhero gadgets and entire fictional worlds.

John joins me to talk about the often invisible art of production design and his work on Chucky, Orphan Black, Flashpoint, Titans and more. We get into building the White House for Chucky, creating the Batcave, transforming locations into believable sets, working under incredibly tight deadlines, and how a career that began building scenery eventually led him to designing worlds for film and television.

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Joy Ellison grew up in Hollywood and began acting as a child, appearing on classics including The Andy Griffith Show. She joins me to look back at those early years, what she remembers about working around Ron Howard, and how a childhood fascination with languages and accents eventually led her down a completely different career path.

Joy went on to become a respected Hollywood dialect coach, working with some of the biggest names in the business. We talk about how she got her start coaching Isabella Rossellini, what really goes into creating a believable accent, and why sometimes the smallest details can completely change a character. She also shares what happens when an accent isn't working and why time and preparation have become increasingly difficult to find in Hollywood.

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Toby Philpott’s career took an incredible path from street performing and circus work to helping bring some of the most memorable creatures in movie history to life. He joins me to talk about that journey, including working alongside Jim Henson on The Dark Crystal and eventually becoming one of the puppeteers inside Jabba the Hutt for Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.

Toby also shares what it was like working inside the massive Jabba puppet, why practical effects still hold up decades later, and how a relatively small part of his life became something generations of fans still remember. It’s a fascinating conversation about creativity, luck, Jim Henson, Star Wars, and being in the right place at exactly the right time.

Inside Jabba website

Online interviews with fans

Slimy piece of worm-ridden filth (20 minute filmumentary of the 'making-of')

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Geoffrey Cantor has spent decades building a career across television, film and theater, including his memorable role as Mitchell Ellison in Marvel’s Daredevil and The Punisher. He joins me to talk about how he found acting, the ups and downs of making a living as a working actor, and why he still loves the craft after all these years.

We also get into auditions, rejection, acting technique and what he learned from his years on Daredevil. Geoffrey shares some great stories from his career and offers an interesting look at what it really takes to keep working in an industry where you never quite know what the next job will be.

They say New York is often a character of its own, and that was certainly the case with this episode. From dogs barking to horns and sirens, NYC made its presence known. I cleaned up the audio the best I could, but a little of New York still made it through. I think it just adds some character to the episode.

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Brent Huff joins The Staffa Corner Podcast to talk about his memorable role as Officer Smitty on ABC’s The Rookie and how the character grew into an unexpected fan favorite. He shares his thoughts on Smitty, working on the hit series, and the fun of playing a character who can make an impression without always being at the center of the action.

Huff also looks back on a career that has taken him in front of and behind the camera as an actor, director, and filmmaker. From his earlier work in Hollywood to finding a whole new audience with The Rookie, Brent offers a fun look at the experiences and unexpected turns that have shaped his career.

For more on The International Rett Syndrome Foundation (IRSF) click HERE

To order his book click HERE

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