Greenlit and Grounded

Director Cat Hostick on Getting Her First Film Made, How She Casts, and Actors Becoming Producers

We got the chance to speak with Director / Actor Cat Hostick on how she made her first film, how she casts, and why it's so important for actors to also produce. She also talks about working with AI, and some of the lessons she's learned from working alongside Eli Roth.Connect with Cat here: https://www.instagram.com/cathostick/ [https://www.instagram.com/cathostick/]Connect with us: https://www.instagram.com/greenlitandgroundedpodcast/ [//www.instagram.com/greenlitandgroundedpodcast/]Jarred - https://www.instagram.com/bronst7/ [https://www.instagram.com/bronst7/]Daniel - https://www.instagram.com/danielkarp1/ [https://www.instagram.com/danielkarp1/]Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/5pTBzBilNZc [https://youtu.be/5pTBzBilNZc] We hope you enjoy, and if this episode interests you, please consider dropping a like and subscribing!Cat Hostick is a Canadian Screen Award-nominated director and actress known for her bold, cinematic approach to genre storytelling. Her recent thriller Taken in Plain Sight reached #2 on Netflix U.S. and #9 globally (Fall 2025), and she has directed multiple hit horror series executive produced by Eli Roth - establishing her as one of the most exciting emerging voices in elevated thrillers and prestige horror. She has directed over 30 episodes of television, including Murdoch Mysteries (CBC/Netflix) and a #1 MGM+ series, and created, wrote, and directed the acclaimed digital dramedy Poly Is the New Monogamy, which was acquired for television. Cat recently played the lead in a new romance movie that will be coming out end of 2026. With a background as both an actor and producer, Cat brings a uniquely intuitive approach to working with talent and storytelling. Earlier in her career, she co-founded a production company that serviced 8-10 feature films annually, collaborating with talent such as Simu Liu, Aaron Eckhart, and Tommy Lee Jones, giving her a deep understanding of both the creative and logistical sides of filmmaking. Recorded at Sleepless Studios in Toronto.

René Escobar Jr. on the ‘Yes Man’ Trap, Working with Jason Biggs, & Why Talent Doesn't Mean Anything

In this engaging episode, we sit down with Rene Escobar Jr. to discuss the nuances of being a professional in the film industry, offering valuable career advice for anyone pursuing a career. He shares insights on how to be professional, why he is no longer a "yes man" and his time working alongside Jason Biggs.Connect with Rene Escobar Jr. here: https://www.instagram.com/reneescobarjr/ [https://www.instagram.com/reneescobarjr/]Connect with us: https://www.instagram.com/greenlitandgroundedpodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/greenlitandgroundedpodcast/]Jarred - https://www.instagram.com/bronst7/ [https://www.instagram.com/bronst7/]Daniel - https://www.instagram.com/danielkarp1/ [ https://www.instagram.com/danielkarp1/]Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/6RLsZvpHyBg [https://youtu.be/6RLsZvpHyBg] We hope you enjoy, and if this episode interests you, please consider dropping a like and subscribing!René Escobar Jr. is a Canadian actor with a growing body of work in film and television including NBC’s Taken, Fox’s Accused, and CBS’ Good Sam. He was on CBC’s Heartland for two seasons, one of the leads in Lionsgate’s Dear David with Justin Long and most recently stars alongside Jason Biggs in Paramount’s Untitled Home Invasion Romance. Recorded at Sleepless Studios in Toronto.

Daniel Gold on Starting Out, Workin’ Moms, and selling a script starring Will Ferrell & Ryan Gosling

We sat down with screenwriter Daniel Gold to discuss his career path, from script coordinator to selling a feature film script to Amazon. This insightful interview explores his journey in writing for movies and offers valuable writing tips for aspiring script writers. Connect with Daniel Gold here: https://www.instagram.com/danielhgoldConnect with us: https://www.instagram.com/greenlitandgroundedpodcast/Jarred - https://www.instagram.com/bronst7/Daniel - https://www.instagram.com/danielkarp1/Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/9pEmE2Y3vQU We hope you enjoy, and if this episode interests you, please consider dropping a like and subscribing!Daniel Gold is a Toronto-born writer and producer who recently sold his action-comedy feature TOUGH GUYS to Amazon/MGM, with Ryan Gosling and Will Ferrell attached to star and produce. He is best known for his work on all seven seasons of the International Emmy-nominated Netflix/CBC comedy WORKIN' MOMS, where he rose through the ranks and most recently served as Supervising Producer. Daniel also has a dark comedy feature in development with Aggregate Films and Tessa Thompson's Viva Maude producing, a horror-thriller with Lili Reinhart attached to produce through her company, and a horror feature with Platinum Dunes - all currently being packaged.Recorded at Sleepless Studios in Toronto.

Chasing Greatness, Bad Directors and The Real Struggles Young Actors Face with Tony Nappo

In this episode of Greenlit and Grounded, we sit down with Tony Nappo to discuss his impressive 30-year acting career. Tony shares valuable acting advice and acting tips, touching on common struggles faced by young actors. We also explore his unique perspective on directing and filmmaking, offering insights into what defines a good versus a bad director. Connect with Tony Nappo here: https://www.instagram.com/nappo.tony/ Connect with us: https://www.instagram.com/greenlitandgroundedpodcast/ Jarred - https://www.instagram.com/bronst7/ Daniel - https://www.instagram.com/danielkarp1/ Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/X43UYTovU1A We hope you enjoy, and if this episode interests you, please consider dropping a like and subscribing!Tony Nappo has been an actor for almost 40 years now. He has 217 film and television credits at the time of this podcast and has done 32 professional stage plays. He’s been. Nominated for a CSA, Two Dora Macie Moore Awards, Two Actra Awards and a Broadway World Award. He has been teaching an independent auditioning workshop for the last six years and really enjoys coaching and mentoring young talent. He’s a father and a dog owner and last, but of course not least, a National Treasure. If we didn’t say the last thing he promised he would storm out of the studio. Recorded at Sleepless Studios in Toronto.

Praneet Akilla on Family Pressure, Skymed Success, and Taking a Leap of Faith

From working engineer to full-time actor — Praneet Akilla sits down with the guys to talk about booking SkyMed (Chopper), launching Akilla Express, and the tough family conversations that came with betting on himself. Connect with Praneet Akilla here: https://www.instagram.com/praneetakilla/ Connect with us: https://www.instagram.com/greenlitandgroundedpodcast/ Jarred - https://www.instagram.com/bronst7/ Daniel - https://www.instagram.com/danielkarp1/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@GreenlitandGrounded We hope you enjoy, and if this episode interests you, please consider dropping a like and subscribing! Praneet Akilla is an award winning Indian-Canadian Actor & Producer best known for his leading roles on The CW’s Nancy Drew, Disney’s Motherland Fort Salem, and Netflix’s October Faction. He is currently a series regular on the Canadian Screen Award nominated medical drama Skymed on CBC Gem & Paramount Plus. Over the last 3 years Praneet has made the successful transition into producing a variety of critically acclaimed short films and digital series with his new production company Akilla Express, focusing on joyful, genre-bending stories featuring complex BIPOC protagonists.   Praneet’s recent producing highlights include the multi-award winning short film Mom vs Machine (Fantasia Film Festival, Brooklyn Horror Festival, now playing on YouTube’s DUST channel) and the short film Not For Us (2023- LA Comedy Festival Best Short film). He is currently in development on a feature film adaptation of the celebrated Canadian novel Junie with 100 Dragons Media Inc. and a new comedy horror series called Raksha with support from the Canada Media Fund. Praneet is a recent graduate of the National Screen Institute of Canada’s Access BIPOC Producers program and the 2025 Netflix Diversity of Voices program. Recorded at Sleepless Studios in Toronto.