That One Audition with Alyshia Ochse

Today we're sitting down with the luminous Natalie Martinez, whose path to Hollywood started not in a classroom or on a stage — but at a mall in Miami, wearing a tank top and no bra, auditioning for Jennifer Lopez on a $100 bet from her mom.
From winning J.Lo's national model search to becoming one of television's most trusted leading ladies, Natalie has spent over two decades learning the craft entirely on the job. She shares what it was like to have Taylor Sheridan as her acting coach before he became a Hollywood powerhouse, how David Ayer had her and Michael Peña go on "mini dates" to build their chemistry for End of Watch, and why she credits Woody Harrelson for getting her cast in Brothers — even though the tape she submitted was never actually seen.
It's one of the most jaw-dropping "what's meant for you will find you" stories we've ever heard on this show.
These are the unforgettable stories that landed Natalie Martinez right here.
Credits:
Brothers
Bad Monkey
Ordinary Joe
The Fugitive
APB
The Crossing
Kingdom
Secrets and Lies
Under the Dome
CSI: New York
Detroit 1-8-7
End of Watch
Death Race
Saints and Sinners
Fashion House
Guest Links:
IMDB: Natalie Martinez, actress
THAT ONE AUDITION'S LINKS:
For exclusive content surrounding this and all podcast episodes, sign up for our amazing newsletter at AlyshiaOchse.com. And don't forget to snap and post a photo while listening to the show and tag me: @alyshiaochse & @thatoneaudition
THE BRIDGE FOR ACTORS: Become a WORKING ACTOR (50% off special)
THE PRACTICE TRACK: Membership to Practice Weekly
CONSULTING: Get 1-on-1 advice for your acting career from Alyshia Ochse
COACHING: Get personalized coaching from Alyshia on your next audition or role
INSTAGRAM: @alyshiaochse
INSTAGRAM: @thatoneaudition
WEBSITE: AlyshiaOchse.com
APPLE PODCASTS: Subscribe to That One Audition on Apple Podcasts
SPOTIFY: Subscribe to That One Audition on Spotify
STITCHER: Subscribe to That One Audition on Stitcher
EPISODE CREDITS:
HOST/PRODUCER: Alyshia Ochse
WRITER: Maddie McCormick
WEBSITE & GRAPHICS: Chase Jennings
SOCIAL: Alara Cerikcioglu

Christopher Thornton — actor, writer, teacher, and one of the most quietly extraordinary storytellers working in Hollywood today.
His journey is not a straight line. It is a rock climbing accident that fractured two vertebrae and left him in a wheelchair — and an agency that dropped him in a signed card from his hospital bed. It is a then-unknown Mark Ruffalo tricking him into performing Waiting for Godot five months later — and the Drama-Logue Award that changed everything.
It is understudying the lead at the Mark Taper Forum with zero rehearsals and going on for a matinee AND an evening performance the same day. It is writing Sympathy for Delicious in 1997 and not shooting it until 2009. It is a Magnum P.I. surfboard scene he absolutely claimed he could handle. And it is thirty years of showing up — to the stage, to the room, to the tape, to the work — until Vice Principals, Magnum P.I., Lincoln Lawyer, and now The Pitt and Netflix's All the Sinners Bleed made the industry take notice.
These are the unforgettable stories that landed Christopher Thornton right here.
Credits:
The Pitt
Magnum P.I.
Vice Principals
Lincoln Lawyer
All the Sinners Bleed
Sympathy for Delicious
Waiting for Godot
Alias
Will & Grace
Guest Links:
IMDB: Christopher Thornton, actor, writer
THAT ONE AUDITION'S LINKS:
For exclusive content surrounding this and all podcast episodes, sign up for our amazing newsletter at AlyshiaOchse.com. And don't forget to snap and post a photo while listening to the show and tag me: @alyshiaochse & @thatoneaudition
THE BRIDGE FOR ACTORS: Become a WORKING ACTOR (50% off special)
THE PRACTICE TRACK: Membership to Practice Weekly
CONSULTING: Get 1-on-1 advice for your acting career from Alyshia Ochse
COACHING: Get personalized coaching from Alyshia on your next audition or role
INSTAGRAM: @alyshiaochse
INSTAGRAM: @thatoneaudition
WEBSITE: AlyshiaOchse.com
APPLE PODCASTS: Subscribe to That One Audition on Apple Podcasts
SPOTIFY: Subscribe to That One Audition on Spotify
STITCHER: Subscribe to That One Audition on Stitcher
EPISODE CREDITS:
HOST/PRODUCER: Alyshia Ochse
WRITER: Maddie McCormick
WEBSITE & GRAPHICS: Chase Jennings
SOCIAL: Alara Cerikcioglu

Cara Jade Myers asked Martin Scorsese how he wanted her to play Anna in Killers of the Flower Moon. He said — "You're the actor. Figure it out." And that single sentence gave her permission to know exactly what to do. This week we unpack why the permission you've been waiting for has always been yours to give yourself — and why Cara's decision to stop waiting for the industry and start writing, producing, and creating her own opportunities is the most important career move any actor can make right now. Stop waiting. Start creating. Figure it out.
Subscribe now for insightful discussions, empowering interviews, and practical advice to enhance your career longevity and satisfaction.
Connect with That One Audition:
THE BRIDGE FOR ACTORS: Become a WORKING ACTOR - 50% OFF
THE PRACTICE TRACK: Membership to Practice Weekly
CONSULTING: Get 1-on-1 advice for your acting career from Alyshia Ochse
COACHING: Get personalized coaching from Alyshia on your next audition or role
INSTAGRAM: @alyshiaochse
INSTAGRAM: @thatoneaudition
WEBSITE: AlyshiaOchse.com
APPLE PODCASTS: Subscribe to That One Audition on Apple Podcasts
SPOTIFY: Subscribe to That One Audition on Spotify
STITCHER: Subscribe to That One Audition on Stitcher
Subscribe today and be part of a community that celebrates resilience and passion in the world of acting! #ActorsResilience #RecoveryMindset #ThatOneAudition #PodcastJourney
CREDITS:
Host/Producer: Alyshia Ochse
WRITER: Alyshia Ochse
WEBSITE & GRAPHICS: Chase Jennings
SOCIAL: Alara Cerikcioglu

Today we are sitting down with Cara Jade Myers — the Native American actress who spent ten years grinding through background work, PA gigs, and craft services before booking one of the most coveted roles in recent Hollywood history: Anna in Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon.
Cara takes us through the entire extraordinary journey — from auditioning for casting director Rene Haynes for years before getting noticed, to a nine-month process that ended in a Zoom call with Scorsese where she could only see his iconic eyebrows on screen. She shares what it was like working alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, the improvised flask moment that Scorsese immediately greenlit, and why the film's premiere on Hollywood Boulevard — during the strike — became one of the most bittersweet moments of her career.
Plus — why writing, producing, and building her own creative projects out of sheer frustration has become the most powerful move she's ever made.
These are the unforgettable stories that landed Cara Jade Myers right here.
Credits:
Killers of the Flower Moon
This Is Us
Icefall
Day of Reckoning
How We Stand
Guest Links:
IMDB: Cara Jade Myers, actress
THAT ONE AUDITION'S LINKS:
For exclusive content surrounding this and all podcast episodes, sign up for our amazing newsletter at AlyshiaOchse.com. And don't forget to snap and post a photo while listening to the show and tag me: @alyshiaochse & @thatoneaudition
SLAYTEMBER CLASS: Starting September 24th
THE BRIDGE FOR ACTORS: Become a WORKING ACTOR (50% off special)
THE PRACTICE TRACK: Membership to Practice Weekly
CONSULTING: Get 1-on-1 advice for your acting career from Alyshia Ochse
COACHING: Get personalized coaching from Alyshia on your next audition or role
INSTAGRAM: @alyshiaochse
INSTAGRAM: @thatoneaudition
WEBSITE: AlyshiaOchse.com
APPLE PODCASTS: Subscribe to That One Audition on Apple Podcasts
SPOTIFY: Subscribe to That One Audition on Spotify
STITCHER: Subscribe to That One Audition on Stitcher
EPISODE CREDITS:
HOST/PRODUCER: Alyshia Ochse
WRITER: Maddie McCormick
WEBSITE & GRAPHICS: Chase Jennings
SOCIAL: Alara Cerikcioglu

Okay. A LAMDA trained British actor who is also a fully practicing member of The Magic Circle walked into this week's episode and completely changed how I think about self tapes. Brendan Patricks — Downton Abbey, Rivals, Gentleman Jack — figured out that the same techniques magicians use to control where an audience looks apply directly to your tape. This week we break down the Miles Davis philosophy of treating every single take like a live performance — not a rehearsal for one — and the magic misdirection principles that put you in full control of where the casting director's eye goes from the first frame to the last.
Subscribe now for insightful discussions, empowering interviews, and practical advice to enhance your career longevity and satisfaction.
Connect with That One Audition:
THE BRIDGE FOR ACTORS: Become a WORKING ACTOR - 50% OFF
THE PRACTICE TRACK: Membership to Practice Weekly
CONSULTING: Get 1-on-1 advice for your acting career from Alyshia Ochse
COACHING: Get personalized coaching from Alyshia on your next audition or role
INSTAGRAM: @alyshiaochse
INSTAGRAM: @thatoneaudition
WEBSITE: AlyshiaOchse.com
APPLE PODCASTS: Subscribe to That One Audition on Apple Podcasts
SPOTIFY: Subscribe to That One Audition on Spotify
STITCHER: Subscribe to That One Audition on Stitcher
Subscribe today and be part of a community that celebrates resilience and passion in the world of acting! #ActorsResilience #RecoveryMindset #ThatOneAudition #PodcastJourney
CREDITS:
HOST/PRODUCER: Alyshia Ochse
WRITER: Alyshia Ochse
WEBSITE & GRAPHICS: Chase Jennings
SOCIAL: Alara Cerikcioglu