10,000 NOs

“I dropped my accent immediately. I said, ‘Bro, listen… I’m an actor. I’m just acting, alright? I’m not a gang member. I’m not even from this country!”

In today’s episode, Matt sits down with actor Tobi Bamtefa, whom you may recognize as Bunny, the gangster kingpin at the heart of Paramount +’s Mayor of Kingstown. The conversation dives deep into Tobi’s intricate character development with Bunny as well as his departure from his path to becoming a lawyer to pursue stage and screen, eventually working across from stars like Jeremy Renner, Bryan Cranston and Tim Roth, among others.

Actors will particularly enjoy this conversation as they spend some time demystifying audition preparation, creating a character and their specific self-tape practices.
 
If you’re an actor, writer or filmmaker and you think you’d benefit from being part of conversations like this every week with a group of fellow artists, consider joining our Working Actors Community. Find out more by CLICKING HERE.
And remember: “failure” is just opportunity in disguise. You can flip the script to make your setbacks serve you.
Remember, “failure” is just opportunity in disguise, and you can flip the script to make your setbacks serve you.
 
SHOW LINKS:
10,000 NOs: THE BOOK
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BECOME A MEMBER OF THE WORKING ACTORS COMMUNITY

"Self-reflection is often saying ‘I wish I had done something differently’, and that to me can sound like lack of gratitude, but also these things are true”. 
In today’s episode, Matt sits down with his Mayor of Kingstown colleague and celebrated American Actress and singer, Laura Benanti. Renowned for her extensive Broadway Career, Laura is a Tony Award Winner and five time nominee.  
She has also won a Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award and been nominated for a Saturn Award, among others. The conversation covers her meteoric path to Broadway dominance, the side-effects of rising so quickly while still finding one's self, and a deep dive into her powerful role on Season 4 of Mayor Kingstown.
10,000 NOs is here to inspire you and help you realize you are not alone if you’re battling to overcome rejection in your career or life.  
So, if you’re an actor, writer or filmmaker and you like what you hear in the snippets from our Working Actors Community zooms enough to want to be a part of it, CLICK HERE. 
Remember, “failure” is just opportunity in disguise, and you can flip the script to make your setbacks serve you. 
 
SHOW LINKS: 
10,000 NOs: THE BOOK 
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR (WEEKLY) NEWSLETTER 
FOLLOW MATT ON SOCIAL 
BECOME A MEMBER OF THE WORKING ACTORS COMMUNITY

"It took me until 53 to learn this lesson…"
In today’s episode, Matt sits down to talk about confronting the self-limiting beliefs that can make us feel embarrassed or ashamed—especially when it comes to asking for help. You hear the saying all the time: “Making a movie takes a village,” and it truly does.
As we say goodbye to 2025 - with all the ups and downs it brought - we want to thank you for your continued support of 10000No’s and for helping turn MICKEY BRASCH into a reality.
Stay tuned in the new year - there are a lot of amazing things coming your way!
Happy Holidays and Thank you for your continued support
10,000 NOs is here to inspire you and help you realize you are not alone if you’re battling to overcome rejection in your career or life.
So, if you’re an actor, writer or filmmaker and you like what you hear in the snippets from our Working Actors Community zooms enough to want to be a part of it, CLICK HERE.
Remember, “failure” is just opportunity in disguise, and you can flip the script to make your setbacks serve you.

“The root of all bad acting is the thought: I’m not enough.”
In today’s episode, Matt sits down with veteran actor and recently published author, Josh Pais (Lose Your Mind: The Path to Creative Invincibility).  You may know Josh from projects like Joker, Ray Donovan, Law & Order, A Man in Full or over 150 other credits. Today, he dishes advice on how to keep your composure and your creative juices flowing in a long career. Or just in life.
As the founder of Committed Impulse, he has trained Navy SEALs, Oscar winners, and startup founders to turn rejection, fear, and failure into high-performance fuel. His new book, Lose Your Mind: The Path to Creative Invincibility (Hay House, Sept 2025), offers deeply personal lessons and practical tools for staying present through the unknown.
Josh grew up in a household where his dad worked with Einstein and later became a counterculture icon - and his own life has been a study in navigating uncertainty and rejection in Hollywood and beyond!
10,000 NOs is here to inspire you and help you realize you are not alone if you’re battling to overcome rejection in your career or life.
So, if you’re an actor, writer or filmmaker and you like what you hear in the snippets from our Working Actors Community zooms enough to want to be a part of it, CLICK HERE.
Remember, “failure” is just opportunity in disguise, and you can flip the script to make your setbacks serve you.
SHOW LINKS:
10,000 NOs: THE BOOK
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR (WEEKLY) NEWSLETTER
FOLLOW MATT ON SOCIAL
BECOME A MEMBER OF THE WORKING ACTORS COMMUNITY

"Well, I always tell actors to always bring your A game to every audition. Because you never know. Like exactly what Matt just said. I have extensive notes on actor's that I've read. And I go, 'This guy is really good we can bring him in for another part.' Sometimes for the same project. Sometimes I go, 'Oh yeah we are going to bring him in for this project down the road.' So you know what I mean, you always bring your A game to every audition. And you don't get it, you don't get it. There's a million factors that go into the casting process."
Today’s episode is a sit down with Casting Director Lisa London. Lisa has been a Casting Director for 30 plus years and has cast over a 100 successful film and television shows. Along with her business partner, Catherine Stroud, they have cast many notable actors and actresses at the beginning of their careers who have all gone on to become stars; such as Miley Cyrus in Hannah Montana, Jonah Hill in Grandma’s Boy, Emma Stone, Katharine McPhee and Kat Dennings in House Bunny, Selena Gomez in two Disney pilots - What’s Stevie Thinking and Arwin, Jennifer Aniston in her first feature, Leprechaun, Mark Ruffalo in the CBS series, Due South, Brad Pitt in an episode of the series, Freddy’s Nightmares, Megan Hilty, Adrian R. Mante, Cierra Ramirez and Joey King in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Yara Shahidi in her first television series, The First Family and Noah Centineo in a Disney pilot, Growing Up and Down.
In today's conversation Matt and Lisa discuss what it takes to be a successful working actor and how to leave an impression while enjoying the process of being an actor.
Lisa's Book, From Start to Stardom: The Casting Director's Guide For Actors, is available now on Amazon.
Lisa's classes can be found on her website From Start to Stardom.
10,000 NOs is here to inspire you and help you realize you are not alone if you’re battling to overcome rejection in your career or life.
So, if you’re an actor, writer or filmmaker and you like what you hear in the snippets from our Working Actors Community zooms enough to want to be a part of it, CLICK HERE.
Remember, “failure” is just opportunity in disguise, and you can flip the script to make your setbacks serve you.
SHOW LINKS:
10,000 NOs: THE BOOK
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR (WEEKLY) NEWSLETTER
FOLLOW MATT ON SOCIAL
FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN JOIN THE WORKING ACTORS COMMUNITY