The Hollywood Hang

Haley Nicole Johnson (Obsession)

Welcome to The Hollywood Hang! A podcast about the highs, lows, and hell nos of this crazy industry. Hosted by Nicolas Curcio & Kristen Tepper. Social & Promotion by Rodrigo Caraveo. This week, we are joined by producer and director Haley Nicole Johnson, whose film Obsession is now in theaters! We get into how Haley went from competitive dancer to one of indie film’s most exciting emerging producers. But don’t worry, Haley didn’t need a One Wish Willow to make her Hollywood dreams come true. She’s just that good. We also talk about her next project, 4x4: The Event, which is set to be distributed by Neon, what it actually takes to crew a debut feature the right way, and why waiting for $3 to $5 million might be killing your career before it even starts. If you want to know what building a career in independent film actually looks like right now, you won’t want to miss this hang! And you definitely don’t want to miss Obsession! Listen now on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts!

Mackenzie Barmen (Sixty Somethings & Future Oscar Winning Actress)

Welcome to The Hollywood Hang! A podcast about the highs, lows, and hell nos of this crazy industry. Hosted by Nicolas Curcio & Kristen Tepper. Social & Promotion by Rodrigo Caraveo. This week we're joined by TikTok legend Mackenzie Barmen. You might know her from the videos that took over your FYP! Mackenzie is also a SAG-AFTRA/AEA actor, director, and producer based in NYC. In this episode, Mackenzie sits down with us to talk about her journey, what makes storytelling light her up, how she pivoted from viral fame to a full creative career, and oh yeah how Sarah Snook slid into her DMs! You won't want to miss this hang!

We're Back! (Season 2 of The Hollywood Hang)

Welcome to The Hollywood Hang! A podcast about the highs, lows, and hell nos of this crazy industry. Hosted by Nicolas Curcio & Kristen Tepper. Social and Promotion by Rodrigo Caraveo. We’re back! Season 2 kicks off by catching up on everything Nic and Tepper have been up to since the last time we hung out. From being on set, to Nic’s wedding, to Tepper’s writing journey, and everything in between. We talk growth, setbacks, new opportunities, and what it means to keep going in an industry that doesn’t always make it easy. Whether you’ve been following along or are just jumping in, this is the perfect place to start. New season means new highs, lows, and hell nos. Let’s get into it!

Carolina Groppa (Angle on Producers, Sylvie's Love, Autism in Love)

Welcome to The Hollywood Hang! A podcast about the highs, lows, and hell nos of this crazy industry. Hosted by Nicolas Curcio & Kristen Tepper. Edited by Luke Hellyer. Social and Promotion by Rodrigo Caraveo.Carolina Groppa is an Emmy nominated producer. She was previously the Executive in Charge of Production at Issa Rae’s HOORAE Media and ColorCreative. She was born in São Paulo, Brazil and moved with her family to the US when she was a child. Her immigrant upbringing inspired her to work hard to build the career of her dreams.Carolina produced the ⁠2017 Emmy nominated feature documentary⁠ AUTISM IN LOVE, which explores how adults with autism find and navigate romantic relationships. Other documentaries include HYSTERICAL (2020) for FX and ⁠THE HONORABLE: SHYNE⁠ (2024) for Hulu. Passionate about supporting female filmmakers, she was a co-producer on Netflix’s MISS VIRGINIA, starring Uzo Aduba and IFC’s THE FEMALE BRAIN, Whitney Cummings' directing debut feature film. She was a physical producer on Amazon’s ⁠SYLVIE'S LOVE⁠ starring Tessa Thompson and Nnamdi Asomugha. She was also the UPM/EP on Adamma Ebo’s 2022 Sundance hit HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL⁠, starring Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown.She is also the creator and host of the hit podcast ⁠Angle on Producers⁠. With 150+ episodes, the show dives deep into the journeys of producers and magic makers in our industry. Recent guests include the Ali Loewy (⁠Executive Producer, THE SUBSTANCE⁠), Sev Ohanian⁠ (Producer, SINNERS⁠),and Alex Coco (⁠Producer, Academy Award winning film ANORA).

Helen Shang (Welcome to Derry, Rings of Power, Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Welcome to The Hollywood Hang! A podcast about the highs, lows, and hell nos of this crazy industry. Hosted by Nicolas Curcio & Kristen Tepper. Edited by Luke Hellyer. Social and Promotion by Rodrigo Caraveo. Helen Shang was most recently a writer on seasons 2 and 3 of Netflix’s upcoming AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER series. Previously, she worked on HBO's WELCOME TO DERRY and two seasons of RINGS OF POWER for Amazon. Helen was born in Beijing, China, and grew up in the Silicon Valley, California. She was a certified counselor for Crisis Text Line, a text-based mental health hotline, and enjoys hiking, karaoke nights, and being an amateur ethical taxidermist.