CONNOR RATLIFF presents THE ACTING CLASS: THE PODCAST
CONNOR RATLIFF presents THE ACTING CLASS is an ongoing series of live and filmed performances which pretend to be real acting classes. This companion podcast features professional actor/comedian CONNOR RATLIFF talking about the show and about acting in general. As the creator as one of the most acclaimed podcasts of the past decade -- Dead Eyes, cited by TIME Magazine & Left Of Dial Media's lists of the "best 100 podcasts of all time" and featured in the book The Podcast Pantheon, published by Chronicle Books in 2025 -- it should be clear that this podcast will not attempt to achieve the s...
Ep 80: Widow's Bay + Run Amok + live shows this week!
Connor's regular Sunday night improv gig, Raaaatscraps, heads into its final 7 shows, while a new TV series, a movie premiere, and another live NYC edition of CRpTAC are all happening this week!
Ep 79: Zach Cherry
The next in-person CRpTAC guest is Zach Cherry (4/30/26 at UCBNY), so here are a few thoughts about Zach in anticipation of him doing the show!
Ep 78: Showtime, The Lone Cornmeal Machine & Way Past Your Bedtime
Longest episode yet! A question about the live kids' TV show my dad used to host leads to me talking about a couple of past projects and my ideas regarding "all ages" entertainment.
Ep 77: Late Period Brando
A viewing of the 1998 very strange comedy/thriller FREE MONEY starring Marlon Brando leads me to think about the final decade+/chapter of the legendary actor's filmography
Ep 76: There are NO small roles?
Some musings on the old Stanislavski quote, "there are no small roles, only small actors."
Ep 75: Connor's Pizza & "museum videos"
Does "Connor's Pizza" belong in a MUSEUM?
Ep 74: Changing the name of the podcast?
A suggestion, considered.
Ep 73: Quaid Army/Righteous Kill
A lovely shout-out from Seth Meyers on the Lonely Island podcast leads to a small CRpTAC quump (bonus: several minutes of "Space Olympics" defense at the end of this one)
Ep 72: Is There An "Ideal" Audience?
Musings on the nature of any current audience for my various projects...
Ep 71: Connor's Pizza (Unreleased Feature Film)
A very long answer to a question about the status of Connor's Pizza, the feature film that Tom Levin & I shot in 2019 which has only ever screened ONCE, in Toronto, at a midnight film festival screening. Will it ever come out? What does the future hold for Connor's Pizza?
Ep 70: That Seth Green NFT Pilot I Acted In
Another question about an obscure thing I did! I acted in a low budget pilot that Seth Green produced which (I think) will never see the light of day?
Ep 69: The Role Of A Performer In These Difficult Times
A complicated question that I probably give an unsatisfying, rambling answer to.
Ep 68: The Baron & The Junk Dealer
A pretty detailed answer about The Baron & The Junk Dealer, the GLTS "Beckett Play" we did in Edinburgh and for 2 West Coast dates a few years back.
Ep 67: Edinburgh, almost
A disappointing development, alas. But with hope for the slightly distant future!
Ep 66: Should Scientists Do Improv?
Who should do improv? Just actors and comedians? Or is there room for everyone?
Ep 65: Constructive Criticism
How do I respond to criticism, constructive or otherwise? Listen to me react to a piece of constructive criticism IN REAL TIME!
Ep 64: The Lull Between Jobs
A question about how to deal with sometimes very long wait between acting jobs.
Ep 63: Spare Change
The most obscure question yet! I talk a little bit about "Spare Change," the 10-episode "TV show" I made with my friends when I was in high school.
Ep 62: My Weight
Answering a question about my weight issues.
Ep 61: Setting Pride Aside
A question about the potential for embarrassment when learning how to do improv.
Ep 60: Raymond Bailey & Other Topics
I am asked about my fondness for older films, TV shows & music and if I have recently "discovered" anything old that I like. This brings me to The Beverly Hillbillies and, specifically, to the actor Raymond Bailey.
Ep 59: Why did I let the audience applaud during the James III show?
I have been very strict about limiting applause during CRpTAC shows -- why did I allow it during last weekend's Cleveland show with special guest James III? The answer might surprise you!
Ep 58: The Paul Dano Thing
I'm asked a specific thing related to a hypothetical KFC ad campaign and the recent remarks by Quentin Tarantino
Ep 57: Low Budget vs High Budget
A question about the benefits and drawbacks of doing low budget projects
Ep 56: Fan Interactions
Part 2! A question about my preferences w/r/t interactions with fans/listeners/etc whenever I'm out and about.
Ep 55: Celebrity Interactions
Another (sort of) 2-parter! This question is about interacting with famous people in various contexts, both as a performer and as a person.
Ep 54: The Spirit Of Ratliff (Part 2)
A 2nd episode where I talk about The Spirit Of Ratliff, my YouTube holiday special and its accompanying soundtrack. This episode veers in a few different directions from the previous one.
Ep 53: Music Projects
A question about Future Music Projects, and a brief history of the 3 vinyl records I have willed into existence -- The Spirit Of Ratliff, The GLTS Soundtrack LP and the Aimee Mann "Dead Eyes" single.
Ep 52: The Parasite
I ponder the way that my projects tend to use the popularity of more famous people in order to attract an audience.
Ep 51: Why did I return to professional acting after a decade-long break?
A long episode! With an answer to a complicated question! I have certainly talked about this topic elsewhere, but there may be a few details here that I haven't talked about publicly before. Who knows? The prelude to my quitting acting has been well-covered on the Dead Eyes podcast, but this answer is mostly about what happened between 2002 and 2015, the time when I was working at Barnes & Noble Union Square and not really trying to be an actor anymore. There will be a fair amount of Bookstore Content in this episode!
Ep 50: Mortality, and The George Lucas Talk Show
A grim question to ponder about the future of The George Lucas Talk Show, including a near-death experience at SF Sketchfest in January 2026.
Ep 49: Delroy Lindo
Some rambling thoughts about current Oscar nominee Delroy Lindo and what a great actor he is, and a few viewing recommendations.
Ep 48: Only Murders In The Paradise
Some random thoughts about shows I've auditioned for that I'm *still* hoping to eventually get cast on!
Ep 47: 3 Questions About Branding
I answer 3 different questions that are all sort of related to "branding"
Ep 46: Long Comedy
A question about how a lot of my projects and comedic endeavors are really long and why that is.
Ep 45: A question about TINY DINOS
A question about the podcast, Tiny Dinos, specifically: will the TINY DINOS LIVE! show ever be released online in some form.
Ep 44: Would I ever teach a *real* acting class?
Would I? The short answer is "probably not." The longer, more rambling answer is this episode.
Ep 43: How Do You Let Yourself BE?
Answers to MULTIPLE questions!
Ep 42: Solo Performing
Some questions about the nature of my solo improv shows.
Ep 41: Character Consistency
A question about maintaining character consistency in improv and in filmed work that is shot out-of-sequence
