Where Hollywood Hides: Television | Movies | Music | Show Business | Writing | Producing | Directing | Acting

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Bob McCullough & Suzanne Herrera McCullough, creators of www.WhereHollywoodHides.com, host this one-of-a-kind intimate behind-the-scenes podcast conversation about the best years Classic TV, movies and music. They have plenty to tell you about how they broke into Hollywood and have survived in the most exciting and challenging business in the world! Bob & Suzanne are showbiz industry veterans with more than 200 primetime television and film credits who openly share their stories from inside places like Paramount Studios, MGM, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros., Disney Studios, and Universal Studios , where they worked their way up the Hollywood ladder. You’ll hear about their experiences in the gritty world of Rock-and-Roll working alongside iconic bands performing at The Whiskey A-go-go, The Starwood, and The Palamino Club...as well as the backstage concert fun with Van Halen and David Lee Roth. Listen in and learn how they got into The Writers’ Guild of America, Screen Actors Guild, and The Directors Guild of America, had agents from CAA and ICM on their side, worked with producers like Lew Wasserman, Jerry Bruckheimer, Glen Larson, Stephen J. Cannell, and Aaron Spelling... navigated among networks like ABC, NBC, and CBS, and became intimate collaborators with celebrities like Lana Turner, Jane Wyman, Lorenzo Lamas, Jackie Collins, Bill Murray, Peter Boyle, and even Roddy Piper and Jesse Ventura. You’ll hear how they worked with and rubbed shoulders with movie and TV stars like Kirk Douglas, Goldie Hawn, Sammie Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Johnny Carson, Jonathan Winters, Rick Springfield, Lee Majors, Farrah Fawcett, Robert Loggia, Joe Pesci, Robert deNiro, and hundreds of other fabulous actors and actresses. Bob’s career started with “Mission: Impossible” and “Mannix”, and came to include writing, producing, and directing on hit television series like “BJ & The Bear”, “Six Million Dollar Man”, “Bionic Woman”, “Eight Is Enough”, “Galactica”, “Falcon Crest”, “Hollywood Wives”, “Airport”, “Star Trek”, “Highlander”, “Kung Fu”, “JAG”, “Baywatch”, and dozens more, while Suzanne was cast in shows like “Fantasy Island”, “Falcon Crest”, “The Young and The Restless”, “Magnum, P.I.”, “Kojak”, “Barreta” and “The Incredible Hulk”. From writing, directing, producing, and acting in some of the most well-known TV shows and films of a generation—as well as working overseas on international television series hits like “High Tide” and “Zorro”--they hold nothing back as you hear what life in Hollywood is really all about. Hear about their latest career moves, their movies and TV pilots currently in development, and the opportunities everyone has in new media, internet video programming, cable and broadcast television, and in foreign co-productions. If you want to know how to get your own showbiz career off the ground, these Hollywood stories and practical tips just might give you the inside track to "breaking in and moving up" from that first job to a creative and rewarding career in Hollywood. It's an entertaining and educational trip into the world of classic television, film, and music, so join the party!

Episode List

#37 - Dennis Sands - Multi-Oscar Nominated Scoring Mixer

Mar 2nd, 2015 11:41 PM

This interview features acclaimed film scoring mixer Dennis Sands as he talks about his rise to the highest ranks of “behind the scenes” Hollywood legends. Dennis describes his first gig working at MGM Recording Studios as we learn the true meaning of “working your way up from the bottom” and of being in the right place at the right time...if only by always being there. As Dennis tells his story of becoming a recording engineer for major artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Count Basie, Big Joe Turner, and Sarah Vaughn, and then to his founding Hollywood’s Group IV Recording Studio you’ll learn how dedication to his craft, and “being a nice person” have been the keys to his amazing career. You can actually feel the love Dennis has for his work when he describes the collaborative energy he shares with composers like Alan Silvestri, John Williams, and Danny Elfman...as well as with film directors like Tim Burton and Robert Zemeckis. The conversation touches upon some of the more than 300 major feature films to his credit, and you’ll hear the appreciation Dennis has for his four Academy Award nominations (Forrest Gump, Back to the Future, Contact, The Polar Express), as well as for his multiple Emmy and Grammy nominations and wins. Dennis Sands truly opens up professionally and personally, sharing his excitement over the cutting-edge installation of Dolby’s Atmos in his Sound Waves SB studio, the only one of its kind. For those who hope to learn the keys to the success in Hollywood and how to follow in his footsteps, this podcast is pure gold. After hearing this episode, you’ll agree that the life of Dennis Sands is truly... “an outstanding achievement”.

#35 - Hollywood Icon Actress Diane McBain

Feb 17th, 2015 6:50 PM

One of Hollywood’s iconic screen beauties, Diane McBain was headed for major stardom before she had even finished high school. In this revealing interview, she provides a candid look into her life before, during, and after her years of major film and television stardom. Raised as a child within sight of Hollywood Boulevard’s klieg lights, Diane quickly went from winning teen beauty contests, acting in neighborhood theater productions, working through high school as a magazine cover girl, her first day on the set of Father Knows Best, and being cast in Ice Palace, a major motion picture starring Richard Burton...all before she was 18 years old! Diane pulls no punches as she describes life as a Warner Brothers contract player, how she handled the allure of stardom while still finishing high school, and the sacrifices she made for a career that “fell into her lap”. She talks about her first on-screen kiss and the hectic life of an actress working non-stop on TV series like Maverick, Sugarfoot, Bourbon Street Beat, Surfside 6, 77 Sunset Strip, Batman, and The Man from Uncle (to name only a few of her dozens of shows). Diane openly discusses the challenges and realities of working as a contract player for a studio that didn’t capitalize on her star power when she had it. She reflects upon changing audience tastes, the fact that “people move on”, and how she found herself becoming “just a working actress” struggling to succeed in “a very difficult business”. After starring in classic films like Parrish and Claudelle Inglish (her favorite role), after working with Elvis Presley in Spinout, after three decades of appearances in every TV show from Eight Is Enough to Dallas and General Hospital , Diane has now recently authored Famous Enough in which she tells the complete story of her life and career. As her longtime friend Tippi Hedren describes it, “This is a book about the real Hollywood...told with truth, humility and lots of humor.” We agree. It’s a great book (packed with pictures) and if you’ve got “Hollywood dreams”, you need to listen to this interview...and then read it!

"Falcon Crest" Superstar Ana Alicia

Jan 14th, 2015 9:38 PM

This episode features Bob and Suzanne having a free-wheeling up-tempo conversation with "Falcon Crest" actress Ana Alicia, as she holds nothing back in telling her very personal story. Ana’s story—of a girl born in Mexico, raised in El Paso, educated at Wellesley on full scholarship, and determined to follow her acting dreams even while going to law school—is an inspiring lesson for anyone thinking about a career on stage or in front of the camera. From her initial creative “break” as a finalist in a grammar school poetry contest, as a teenager she jumped into in school plays and found her true calling as an artist. She was soon involved in the world of local dinner theater, and while still going to law school (“trying to be practical”) turned the challenge of finding a Hollywood agent on its ear. She describes her first screen test—and why she wore a casting director’s sweater over her own clothes—and how that propelled her into a starring role on Ryan’s Hope at the age of 20. This fast-paced conversation reveals Ana’s very real intelligence, commitment to craft, and the personal determination that saw her rocket to national prominence on the cast of CBS-TV’s hit series Falcon Crest by the time she was 25. (Don’t miss her story about her “sexy” audition for Executive Producer Earl Hamner…) Ana talks about working with Bob in the role of “Melissa Agretti” on Falcon Crest during the years he produced the show...and even opens up to Suzanne about what it was like working with the many “hunky guys” (William R. Moses, Lorenzo Lamas, David Selby) on the show. She pulls no punches in revealing the real-life “drama” behind the scenes of the series, and how network and studio politics, including the constant changes in the writing staff ultimately affected everyone on the show. Ana talks candidly about the real world of auditions, casting sessions, and working on the sets of more than 30 major TV shows and movies, including The Sacketts, Renegade, Murder, She Wrote, Life Goes On, Moonlighting, Hotel, The Love Boat, B.J. and the Bear, Quincy, The Hardy Boys. She also shares personal insights into what it’s like performing alongside major stars like Raul Julia, Tom Selleck, Sam Elliott, Jane Wyman, Jack Klugman, Susan Sullivan, Edward James Olmos, James Brolin, and Angela Lansbury. In telling her story, Ana Alicia gives a compelling lesson in determination, preparation, and the focus it takes to make it as an actor in Hollywood…and the hard choices involved in choosing family and motherhood over a stellar career. This is an inspiring, educational, and heartfelt conversation…and it’s not to be missed.

#33 Bruce Sallan: Television Producer, Network Executive, Author, Entrepreneur

Dec 19th, 2014 6:07 AM

This high-energy conversation tells the story of an ambitious kid with zero show business “connections” who became one of Hollywood’s most prolific and successful television movie producers: Bruce Sallan. Bruce’s inspiring story takes us from a film class at UCLA and into pitch meetings at the major television networks...then into casting sessions at Hollywood’s biggest studios...and on to film locations around the world with some of the biggest celebrity stars of our time. With more than 24 major television movies to his credit—all inspired by his personal commitment to telling the best stories with a redeeming social value—Bruce enjoyed a remarkable 25-year career on the highest rungs of the Hollywood ladder. He’s one of those rare talents who moved easily between high-level jobs at production companies, movie studios, and television networks. In this rapid-fire, free-wheeling conversation, Bruce doesn’t pull any punches as he recalls his work with stars like Bruce Dern, Barbara Hershey, Alan Arkin, Don Johnson, John Forsythe, Dick Van Patten, Betty White, Ron Howard, Mickey Rourke, Lindsay Wagner...and the list goes on! Bruce Sallan delivers more than just anecdotes here; he talks about the actual “how to” of a Hollywood career, what it takes to really pitch and sell a hot TV project, and how to navigate the treacherous politics of any show business career. The conversation then turns to Bruce’s dynamic career as an author (The Empty-Nest Road Trip Blues and A Dad’s Point-of-View: We ARE Half the Equation), a nationally-syndicated newspaper columnist, the recognized and outspoken advocate for fatherhood, a leading social media icon, the creator of one of Twitter’s #DadChat where his weekly “all about dad” Tweet Chat draws thousands of weekly followers. As the father of two sons, a seasoned and expert skier and unmatched raconteur, Bruce Sallan is uniquely gifted communicator with a great message to share...and he shares it with unmatched intelligence and energy. This is a conversation NOT to be missed!

#32 Melissa Sue Anderson - "Little House on the Prairie" Emmy Award Winning Actress & Author

Nov 2nd, 2014 1:02 AM

Melissa Sue Anderson became an internationally-recognized television star at the age of eleven and remains a fan favorite for her long-running portrayal of “Mary Ingalls” on Little House on the Prairie. In this revealing and very personal conversation, Melissa shares details of her life as a child actor who broke into the business because—in spite of her confessed shyness—“it sounded like fun”. Melissa’s innate sense of humor is evident as she shares with Bob and Suzanne the anxieties of auditioning for network executives, producers, and directors…all the while competing with other talented kids like Jodie Foster. But Melissa apparently had “that special something” that sold well on the tube, because by the time she was cast in her first television role on The Brady Bunch, she had dozens of on-air commercials to her credit. Throughout the podcast Melissa delivers the impressions of a 10-year old working on Hollywood’s sound stages where she was surprised to find that “things were so fake.” She describes her many co-stars with amusing candor, and shares memories of those who generously gave her their inside “acting tips”. Fans of Little House will be intrigued to hear Melissa describe her first meeting with Michael Landon and what it was like competing for the role of “Mary Ingalls”…and ultimately working on the show where she really learned the ropes of working in an ensemble of actors on a hit series. She also shares her secret to “playing blind”…a technique that served her well as she was cast as a sightless person more than she would have liked. Melissa then shares her fond memories of working with her “favorite producer” Aaron Spelling and both the joy and disappointment of working on Dark Mansions, Bob’s 2-hour series pilot that fell victim to studio and network politics. An author (her book The Way I See It is available at Amazon.com), Emmy winner, and member of the Western Performers Hall of Fame--whose favorite acting gig was on The Equalizer--Melissa Sue Anderson’s story is inspiring and instructive. Listening to Melissa delivers great insights into working with agents, producers, directors…and the unpredictable yet very real value of “luck”.

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