Grammy Award-winning vocalist Steve Tyrell joins us on The Matthew Aaron Show Wednesday (5/22) as we broadcast LIVE from Taste Chicago in Burbank starting at 4pm PT.

Steve will be joining us to discuss his current and upcoming tour dates as well as his new album IT’S MAGIC: The Songs of Sammy Cahn, which is currently available for purchase.

Show starts at 4pm PT (6pm CT / 7pm ET). Stop on by Taste Chicago and experience the show in person, otherwise you can stream it from our website or subscribe for free and download the show on iTunes. You can also listen on the go on your Android/iPhone/iPad device via Stitcher.

Grammy Award-winning vocalist Steve Tyrell is truly a renaissance man. In over four decades in the music business, he has achieved great success as an artist, producer, songwriter, music supervisor, and performer.

With his breakthrough performances in “Father of the Bride” and “Father of the Bride II,” Steve Tyrell reinvented and re-popularized classic pop standards for a modern-day audience. With the grit and soul of a lifetime of experiences, producing hits for Grammy-winning Artists ranging from Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville, to Rod Stewart and Diana Ross, Steve himself has sold hundreds of thousands of albums and gained a passionate following all over the world. His hits “The Way You Look Tonight,” “The Simple Life,” “Crush On You” and “The Sunny Side of The Street,” have launched thousands of weddings and millions of romances. He’s held top positions at Standards, Swing, and Big Band outlets with a devoted following at key Adult Contemporary Radio.

With sold out shows across America and raves from around the world, his following increases day by day. Although Steve tours mainly with his band, he also enjoys playing with some of the most renown orchestras in the land, and has had multiple performances with The Boston Pops, The New York Pops, The Nashville Symphony, Kansas City Cymphony, and The Houston Symphony. Most recently, he has appeared with the New West Symphony performing Joseph Sohms photo symphony “Visions of America” narrated by Clint Eastwood, singing the songs of Roger Kellaway and Alan and Marylin Bergman.

At the request of the Sinatra family and Quincy Jones, Steve was the featured performer with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra at their season opening concert in which Frank Sinatra was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame. Also at the request of the Sinatra family, he reprised that performance at Carnegie Hall. This is one of the rare times the family has reached into the vault of original Sinatra arrangements to share them with another artist.

In 2005, after the passing of the legendary Bobby Short, Steve was asked by New York City’s Café Carlyle to take over their revered Holiday Season of November and December, which Mr. Short had not missed for 36 years. In 2013 Tyrell’s contract was extended through his 11th season, starting a new Carlyle legacy that now also includes performances in May.

His work in the studio as a record producer has included collaborations with such diverse and legendary artists as Rod Stewart, Diana Ross, Ray Charles, Linda Ronstadt, Aaron Neville, Bonnie Raitt, Blood Sweat and Tears, Mary J Blidge, Chris Botti, Dave Koz, Dolly Parton, Smokey Robinson, Burt Bacharach, Bette Midler, Stevie Wonder and the list goes on and on. He even produced an album with the late Andy Griffith, which won the Grammy in 1995 for Gospel Album of the Year.
As an artist, all 9 of his American Standards albums have achieved top 10 status on Billboard’s Jazz charts, 7 of which have achieved top 5, and his first album “A New Standard” was amongst the best selling jazz albums for over 5 years.

His voice has been featured on television and in numerous movies. Most recently, he was asked by Oscar winning Songwriter’s Alan and Marilyn Bergman and the late Marvin Hamlisch to sing the end title to Steven Soderbergh’s film “The Informant”.

As a music supervisor and music producer for film and TV, Tyrell has worked with such distinguished directors as Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Nancy Meyers, Steven Soderbergh, Hugh Wilson, and Charles Shyer.

His songs have been recorded by such revered artists as Ray Charles, Diana Ross, LL Cool J and Elvis Presley, and his song “How Do You Talk To An Angel,” written and produced for Aaron Spelling’s Fox television series “The Heights,” was a No. 1 on Billboards Top 100 Pop Charts.

Aside from being a Grammy Award winner, Tyrell has earned 2 Emmy nominations, received a daytime Emmy, 3 Ace Nominations, 2004 American Society of Young Musician’s “All That Jazz Award”, 2004 The Wellness Community “Human Spirit Award”, 2006 Society of Singers “Lifetime Achievement Award”, and 2008 Los Angeles Jazz Society’s “Jazz Vocalist of the Year”. His productions were nominated have earned over 11 Grammy Awards themselves. The music he produced for the children’s special “Cartoon All Stars to the Rescue” which aired on all three major networks simultaneously was given special recognition by the Emmy’s.

Actress/Model Kristina Anapau (True Blood, Black Swan, Cursed…) & Author/TV Host George Motz (Burger Land, Hamburger America…) join us on The Matthew Aaron Show this Wednesday (5/15) as we broadcast LIVE from Taste Chicago in Burbank starting at 4pm PT.

Kristina will be joining us live to discuss how she first discovered her love of acting and her current role as the fairy Maurella on HBO’s TRUE BLOOD. She will also give us some insight on what to expect for True Blood’s upcoming sixth season which will debut on HBO June 16th. The fifth season will be released on DVD/Blu-ray on May 21st.

George took some time last week to record an interview with Matt to talk about his diverse career as an Emmy winning Filmmaker, Author, burger expert & Host of BURGER LAND on the Travel Channel.

Show starts at 4pm PT (6pm CT / 7pm ET). Stop on by Taste Chicago and experience the show in person, stream it from our website, or subscribe for free and download the show on iTunes. You can also listen on the go on your Android/iPhone/iPad device via Stitcher.

Proving to be a true triple threat to Hollywood, Kristina Anapau has wowed audiences on the big and small screen alike.

Anapau is currently recurring on the hit HBO series, True Blood, as the enchanting Maurella. She was in Darren Aronofsky’s, Black Swan, as Galina, alongside Oscar-winner, Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Winona Ryder, and Barbara Hershey. We will be seeing a lot of Anapau on the big screen in the coming months, with four features slated for release in 2013. She recently completed the starring role in the feature film, Sighting, directed by Tedi Sarafian, and another starring role in the special ops action thriller, BlackJacks. Anapau also co-produced and stars in the paranormal thriller, 5 Souls, and plays opposite Tom Sizemore in, The Speak.

Born in Hawaii, she spent her youth studying classical ballet, music and theatre. She graduated from high school at the age of 15, and that same year began her studies at The University of Hawaii. With dreams of pursuing a professional dance career, Anapau’s life would soon take a fateful turn, as she was cast in the Universal Television movie, Escape From Atlantis, landing her first professional starring role at the age of 16. Soon after, she relocated to Los Angeles where she continued to work steadily both theatrically and commercially. At age 20, Anapau was offered a recording contract with Hollywood Records and spent much of that year recording an album and opening for Destiny’s Child on MTV’s TRL Tour, but her true love and passion remained performing in film and television. Anapau has trained and performed theatrically under the tutelage of The Royal Acadamy of Dramatic Art in London, and on the ballet front with American Ballet Theater and The Joffrey Ballet in New York City.

She acted alongside Golden Globe winner, Diane Venora and Greg German in ThinkFilm’s, Self Medicated, winner of over 35 International film awards. Anapau also starred with Christina Ricci and Jesse Eisenberg in the Dimension Films’ thriller, Cursed, directed by Wes Craven, and shined as Cassie Merteuil in the Sony Pictures/Newmarket Films release, Cruel Intentions 3. She appeared in the films, Madison, starring Jim Caviezel and Bruce Dern, as well as, the Lions Gate comedy, 100 Girls.

Her television credits are impressive as Anapau has recurred and guest starred in many noteworthy productions, including: True Blood, The Glades, House, Monk, CSI:NY, Without A Trace, Once & Again, General Hospital, and Knight Rider. She also starred opposite popular comedian, Dane Cook, in the Sony Television produced pilot, Cooked.

In her spare time, Anapau enjoys writing, traveling, skiing, and horseback riding. She has also recently become a contributing editorial writer for The Stndrd magazine and The Hollywood Film Journal. Anapau is a graduate of Skidmore College in New York and currently lives in Los Angeles.

George Motz is an author, burger expert and host of Burger Land. George is a well traveled, Emmy award-winning freelance filmmaker and photographer based in New York City. Over the past 23 years he has worked on numerous television commercials, feature films, music videos, promos and documentaries. In Burger Land, George takes a road trip across America, offering viewers his unique perspective on the nation’s top burgers in various regions of the country.

In 2011, Motz starred in Travel Channel’s Made In America, where he traveled the country to explore the workshops, labs and factories that crank out the ingenious products America has to offer.

Hamburger America, his second documentary film that he shot, produced, edited and directed, was completed in the spring of 2005. The film was nominated in 2006 for a James Beard Foundation Award and won the audience award at the 2009 Modesto Film Festival. The film’s success led to a state-by-state guide to hamburgers, also titled Hamburger America, written by George with over 250 of his original hamburger photos.

George is also the director of the Food Film Festival which is held annually in NYC, Chicago and Charleston. It is a multi-sensory film festival where the audience is treated to the food they see on the screen.

George lives in Brooklyn, NY, with his wife Casey and 2 children, Ruby and Mac.

Actor/Writer/Producer Jim Piddock (Family Tree, A Mighty Wind, Best in Show…) joins us on The Matthew Aaron Show this Wednesday (5/8) as we broadcast LIVE from Taste Chicago in Burbank starting at 4pm PT.

Jim drops by to discuss his career and new TV series FAMILY TREE, which he created and appears in along side Christopher Guest, Chris O’Dowd & Ed Begley Jr. The series premiers on HBO May 12th.

Show starts at 4pm PT (6pm CT / 7pm ET.) Stop on by Taste Chicago and experience the show in person, stream it from our website, or subscribe for free and download it on iTunes. You can also listen on the go on your Android/iPhone/iPad device via Stitcher.

Jim Piddock is an actor, writer, and producer, who began his career on the stage in England, before emigrating to the U.S. in his early twenties. He made his theatrical debut in the U.S. in “The Boy’s Own Story”, a one-man show about a soccer goalkeeper, at the Julian Theatre in San Francisco. The show was an instant success with critics and audiences, winning Piddock the Bay Area Critics’ Best Actor Award. The show was then produced Off-Broadway and he quickly gained the attention of the New York theatre scene. That same year (1982), he was cast in Noel Coward’s “Present Laughter” by George C. Scott, who directed/starred in the revival, which also featured Nathan Lane, Christine Lahti, Dana Ivey, and Kate Burton. The show was a big hit on Broadway and Piddock soon found himself appearing in a string of Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, including the original US production of “Noises Off”, “The Knack” at the Roundabout Theatre, and “Make and Break” with Peter Falk at the Kennedy Center. After replacing Frank Langella in “Design For Living” at the Circle-In-The-Square theatre, he moved to Los Angeles and has since appeared in a long succession of tv shows, such as “The Tracey Ullman Show”, “Coach”, “Max Headroom”, “The Twilight Zone”, “Murder She Wrote”, “Mad About You”, “Angel”, “ER”, “Friends”, “Crossing Jordan”, “The Drew Carey Show”, “Lost”, “Monk”, “Without A Trace”, “Dollhouse”, “Chuck”, and “Party Down” . He has also starred in several notable tv movies and mini-series, like “From The Earth To The Moon”, “A Mom For Christmas”, “She Creature” on HBO, and “The Women Of Windsor”.

He appeared in his first movie in the top-grossing film of 1989, “Lethal Weapon 2″, in which one of his lines, “But…you’re black” in answer to Danny Glover’s request to emigrate to South Africa, became a catchphrase for the film. Other feature film roles soon followed, including notable appearances in “Independence Day”, “Traces Of Red”, “Multiplicity”, “Burn Hollywood Burn”, “Austin Powers 3″, “A Different Loyalty”, “Love For Rent”, “See This Movie”, “Love For Rent”, “The Prestige”, “Epic Movie”, “Who’s Your Caddy?”, “The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising”, “Meet The Spartans”, and “The Golden Door”. But it is probably his memorable performances in the improvised Christopher Guest comedies “Best In Show” (as the Dog Show commentator with Fred Willard), “A Mighty Wind”, and “For Your Consideration” that he has gained the most attention as an impeccable, chameleon character actor, who is barely recognizable from role to role. In Summer 2009, he returned to London to shoot the new Woody Allen film “You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger”, and the Judd Apatow-produced “Get Him To The Greek”, with Russell Brand and Jonah Hill.

As a voice actor, he is most notable for providing the voice of Major Zero in the English version of the video game Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Bolero the Bull in the movie “Garfield 2″, and the fictional artistic director of Forever Young Films, Kenneth Loring, doing the hilarious commentary in the directors’ cut of the Coen Brothers’ “Blood Simple”.

In 1990, he also began another career as a screenplay writer, selling his first spec script, co-written with Margaret Oberman, for a mid six-figure sum. Since then, he has pursued multiple careers as an actor, writer, and producer, having had a diverse collection of films made, crossing all genres, such as “Traces Of Red” (Samuel Goldwyn Company), “One Good Turn”, “A Different Loyalty” (starring Rupert Everett and Sharon Stone), New Line’s “The Man” (starring Samuel Jackson and Eugene Levy), and “The Tooth Fairy” (which he also executive produced) for Fox, starring Dwayne Johnson, Ashley Judd, Billy Crystal, Steven Merchant, and Julie Andrews, which will have a wide theatrical release on January 22, 2010. He also created, wrote and produced the BBC series “Too Much Sun”, starring Mark Addy, Alex Jennings, and Lee Majors.

Writer/Actress Lauren Miller (For a Good Time Call, 50/50, Superbad…) & Writer/Actor Juddy Talt (Language of a Broken Heart) join us on The Matthew Aaron Show this Wednesday (4/24) as we broadcast LIVE from Taste Chicago in Burbank at 4pm PT.

Lauren will be with us to discuss the upcoming charity event HILARITY FOR CHARITY being put on by her, and husband Seth Rogen, on April 25th. This one-of-a-kind event to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association, is designed to humorously raise awareness amongst a younger generation of people about Alzheimer’s. Lauren’s mother was diagnosed with the disease at the age of 40 and they have been involved with the Alzheimer’s Association for several years to change the stigma of the disease as “not just an old person’s disease” as 1 in 10 people diagnosed with the devastating illness is younger than 65.

What makes this annual event so great is that it’s very much an “Anti- Gala” produced like a variety show with comedic routines, food trucks,  and performances to bring attention to an important cause in a very accessible way. Expect appearances by Kevin Hart, Mindy Kaling, Seth Rogen and many more. This event is open to the public, premium reserved tickets are still available but will go fast. In any case, you can help by clicking the banner at the top of our web page and making a donation. All money goes to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Juddy Talt will also be with us to discuss his new Indie film LANGUAGE OF A BROKEN HEART that he wrote and stars in along side Oscar Nunez (The Office, The Proposal), Kate French (One Tree Hill, The L Word), and veteran actress Julie White (Go On, Transformers). It’s currently playing in select theaters in New York, Los Angeles, Texas, Colorado, Chicago and Washington D.C.

Show starts at 4pm PT (6pm CT / 7pm ET). Stop by Taste Chicago and experience the show in person, otherwise stream it from our website or subscribe for free and download it on iTunes. You can also listen on the go with Stitcher.

Lauren Anne Miller, a Long Island native, moved to Lakeland, Florida when she was 8 years old. After graduating from the Harrison Center for the Performing and Visual Arts High School with a concentration in Visual Arts, she moved to New York City to study fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. While getting her Associates Degree at FIT, Lauren began her acting career.

Leaving her sewing machine behind, she earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the film school at Florida State University, where she wrote and directed four short films, two of which played at film festivals around the country; and produced, edited, production-designed, and crewed on over 50 other short films.

After graduation, she moved to Los Angeles and worked as an assistant to Academy Award-winning producer Steve Starkey. Making the decision to focus on writing and acting, she had small parts in such movies as Greg Mottola’s Superbad, Jody Hill’s Observe and Report, and Jonathan Levine’s 50/50; and earned a “New Writer’s Deal” at the (now-defunct) Fox Atomic motion picture arm, and wrote two (unproduced) feature scripts for the studio.

The 2012 film “For a Good Time, Call” marks her feature producing debut, after producing several short films, and is her first feature script to be produced. She also stars in the film.

On October 2, 2011 Lauren married fellow actor, writer, producer Seth Rogen. The two currently live in Los Angeles.

Juddy Talt was raised in the greater Los Angeles area. From childhood he dreamed of writing and producing his own material. He grew up adoring films by Woody Allen, James L. Brookes and Cameron Crowe. These filmmakers have a unifying ability to make comedic films with a lot of heart. He started on stage at 12 years old. This small school performance captured his attention. He knew where he was headed with his life.

Juddy was raised by two loving parents with relentless encouragement to never stop writing, creating and performing. He attended the University of Southern California where he split time away from class working as a model, going to auditions and studying at the Groundlings Improv School. He was quickly hip pocketed by WME and was hired by a production company for an open writing assignment. After graduating from USC and being dumped by his girlfriend, Juddy finished his second script, “Language of a Broken Heart” and made the rounds looking for funds to make the film. Many of the aspects of the film are semi-autobiographical. As they always say, “the best way to get over a girl is to turn her into literature.” But for Juddy, the script was inspired by a lot of failed relationships he had heard about and of course experienced. Juddy has found a way to make a story that we can all relate too. There is certainly a language we speak when we are left with a broken heart. “Language of a Broken Heart” marks his first starring role in a feature film. Although, a recent review referred to him as a “cyborg of Ashton Kutcher and Ethan Hawke”, he is definitely one of a kind.

Juddy currently lives in Venice beach where he can surf, write, play beach volleyball and hang out with his friends. In addition, he enjoys going to Montana with his father and brother to fly fish some of the best streams in the nation.

Four-time Emmy Nominated Executive Producer/Director Craig Zisk (The English Teacher, Weeds, The United States of Tara…) joins us on The Matthew Aaron Show this Wednesday (4/17) as we broadcast LIVE from Taste Chicago in Burbank starting at 4pm PT.

Craig will be joining us to discuss his career and his feature film directorial debut THE ENGLISH TEACHER starring Julianne Moore, Nathan Lane & Greg Kinnear which hits theaters on May 17th. It’s currently available for purchase on VOD as well as iTunes and other digital platforms. You can follow Craig on Twitter @craigzisk.

Show starts at 4pm PT (6pm CT / 7pm ET.) Stop on by Taste Chicago and experience the show in person, otherwise you can stream it from our website or subscribe for free and download the show on iTunes. You can also listen on the go on your Android/iPhone/iPad device via Stitcher.

THE ENGLISH TEACHER marks Craig Zisk’s feature film debut. Additionally, he has Executive Produced several series including WEEDS, UNITED STATES OF TARA, and THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW. Zisk has also directed more than 50 series including WEEDS, “NURSE JACKIE,” and THE OFFICE.

Zisk won a Golden Globe for BROOKLYN BRIDGE, and earned multiple Emmy nominations for THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW and WEEDS, including a nomination for Best Director for a Comedy.

Aussie Writer/Director P.J. Hogan (Mental, My Best Friend’s Wedding, Muriel’s Wedding…) joins us on The Matthew Aaron Show this Wednesday (4/3) 4pm PT at Taste Chicago in Burbank.

P.J. will be with us to discuss his career and new film MENTAL starring Toni Collette, Leiv Schreiber & Anthony LaPaglia which was a hit in his home Country of Australia and now makes it’s way to our neck of the woods.

You can stream the show live from our website or subscribe for free and download it on iTunes. You can also listen on the go on your Android/iPhone/iPad device via Stitcher.

PJ Hogan graduated from the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, where he wrote, directed and edited the short film Getting Wet. It went on to win two Australian Film Institute awards including Best Short Fiction. In 1986, he directed and co-wrote The Humpty Dumpty Man, a film for television. In 1991, he was second unit director and script editor on the acclaimed feature film, Proof, directed by his wife Jocelyn Moorhouse. Hogan directed the “Sloth” episode of Seven Deadly Sins for Australian Broadcasting Corporation Television.

He made his motion picture directorial debut with Muriel’s Wedding in 1994, which he also wrote. When Muriel’s Wedding premiered at the Cannes Film Festival’s Director’s Fortnight in 1994, it received a standing ovation. It dominated the Australian Film Institute Awards with 11 nominations, including Best Achievement in Direction. It won AFI awards for Best Film, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress and Best Achievement in Sound.

In 1996, PJ followed his success with My Best Friend’s Wedding starring Julia Roberts and Rupert Everett, which was the highest grossing comedy ever at that time. PJ’s next project was Unconditional Love, which he co-wrote and directed in 2001. In 2003, PJ directed a live-action version of Peter Pan. PJ directed his latest film, Confessions of a Shopaholic in 2009.

Award winning Writer/Director Adam Leon (Gimme the Loot) & Director Dan Dobi (Please Subscribe: A Documentary on YouTubers) join us on The Matthew Aaron Show this Wednesday (3/27) as we broadcast LIVE from Taste Chicago in Burbank starting at 4pm PT.

Adam will be joining us to discuss his much buzzed about debut feature film GIMME THE LOOT which won big at last years SXSW. The film opens in select theaters in NY & LA and will be available on Video-On-Demand starting this Friday.

Dan drops by to talk about his documentary PLEASE SUBSCRIBE which takes an in depth, exclusive and intimate look into the lives of well known YouTube personalities. Please Subscribe is currently available for download and purchase on chill.com. You can follow Dan on Twitter @dandobi.

Show starts at 4pm PT (6pm CT / 7pm ET). Stop on by Taste Chicago and experience the show in person, otherwise you can stream it from our website or subscribe for free and download the show on iTunes. You can also listen on the go on your Android/iPhone/iPad device via Stitcher.

Adam Leon was born and raised in NYC. Since graduating from the University of Pennsylvania he has worked extensively in the New York film industry. Along with independently directing his own short films and music videos, he worked in association with the All Rites Reserved and Rough Cut production companies in various positions including writer, director, production coordinator etc, on film and video projects ranging from advertisements for companies including Nike, to award winning shorts, and several music videos.

Adam was an assistant for Woody Allen on set and in post-production for two years. Additionally, he has held positions at the Tribeca Film Festival as a Filmmaker Coordinator at the New York Film Festival, where as Production Manager he coordinated the Festival and supervised other special events, and The Jacob Burns Film Center, where he serves as a programmer, selecting films and creating series in addition to booking high level guests.

Under the alias SkinnySlim, he was a founder of the BadmintonStamps collective, whose members continue to thrive in the fine art, photography, film and music fields, and are best known for their “Found Your Stuff” street art project.

His most recent short, Killer, premiered at The Museum of Modern Art and Lincoln Center as part of their New Directors/New Films festival. It went on to play at over twenty festivals around the world, including in San Francisco, London, Woodstock, Los Angeles, and Nantucket, where, along with the Oscar winning feature The Hurt Locker and Oscar winning documentary The Cove, it won the award for outstanding film.

Gimme the Loot is Adam’s debut feature film.

At 28, Dan Dobi has jumped across both traditional and alternative media, leading a double life that’s positioned him as a highly regarded pop culture influencer. His current project is as the director/producer of PLEASE SUBSCRIBE — a feature length documentary made in four months about the phenomenon behind some of the top personalities on YouTube, initiated by his own foray as a YouTube content creator and distributor — and made with just over $12,000 raised through Kickstarter.

If that isn’t enough, Dobi began his professional career as a well-respected music video director who has worked with such artists as Jason Mraz, Paramore, P-Diddy, Soulja Boy, Ice Cube, Lil Wayne, Busta Rhymes and Gym Class Heroes, to name a few.
He’s also a skilled editor and has applied his talents to corporations such as Adidas, Levi’s and Nike. That’s quite a track record from a guy who moved to Los Angeles just seven years ago from Fairfield, Connecticut.

Since the age of 11, when he held his first video camera, Dobi has chronicled his life and those around him.  However, it wasn’t until a few years ago that he entered the fold of the YouTube generation where he started creating web series content, both on camera and behind the scenes for others, generating nearly four million video views.

By Dobi’s own account, friends and family were very skeptical, telling him that YouTube was a fad and that it couldn’t become a career.  Meanwhile, Dobi became friends with many of the YouTube personalities and decided he needed to reveal how members of this online community worked — that real careers and money could he made, no matter how untraditional it seemed — and the roots of PLEASE SUBSCRIBE were planted.

While getting PLEASE SUBSCRIBE distributed and seen by as many eyes as possible is his first and foremost priority, he is also busy developing numerous other film ideas, including directing a project for Google at the new YouTube creator space.

Dobi continues to have his hand on the pulse of the film business and is exploring is out of the box artistic approach to entertain and enlighten audiences of his generation in his many pursuits.  PLEASE SUBSCRIBE is also making industry executives aware of the unprecedented artist.

Two-Time Emmy Nominated Actor Tim Matheson (Animal House, The West Wing, Black Sheep…) joins us on The Matthew Aaron Show Wednesday (3/20) at 4pm PT as we broadcast LIVE from Taste Chicago in Burbank.

Tim will be joining us to discuss his career, his current role as Dr. Brick Breelan on the CW series HEART OF DIXIE, his second career behind the camera as a highly sought after TV director,  as well as upcoming projects.

Show starts at 4pm PT (6pm CT / 7pm ET). Stop on by Taste Chicago and experience the show in person. Otherwise, you can stream it from our website or subscribe for free and download it on iTunes. You can also listen on the go on your Android/iPhone/iPad device via Stitcher.

Having entertained audiences over the last 40 years, Tim Matheson is a luminary in the business with a mile-long actor/director/producer resume and classic pop-culture projects under his belt such as the audience fan-favorite comedy Animal House. Matheson currently stars as ‘Dr. Brick Breeland’ in The CW series, Hart of Dixie, opposite Rachel Bilson.

In addition to acting, Matheson has made a career of directing an array of projects, especially well known for his work on episodes of some of television’s most prevalent shows including but not limited to The West Wing, Burn Notice, Criminal Minds, Without a Trace, Cold Case, Numbers, Drop Dead Diva, Suits, Eureka, White Collar, numerous Television Movies, and of course Hart of Dixie of which he helms the upcoming second season premiere with more planned for this year. He directed the pilots for Covert Affairs (USA Network) and The Good Guys (Fox TV) as well.

Matheson has also lent his voice to many animated characters over the years with the voice of ‘Jonny Quest’ in the popular Jonny Quest series (1964-65) among his credits.  Feature film acting credits include To Be Or Not To Be, Fletch, Black Sheep, A Very Brady Sequel, The Story of Us and National Lampoon’s Van Wilder opposite Ryan Reynolds among others.

He was born in Glendale, CA and currently resides in Los Angeles. You can follow Tim on Twitter @Tim_Matheson

Writer/Comedian/Actor Wayne Federman (Funny People, Step Brothers, The 40 Year Old Virgin…) joins us on The Matthew Aaron Show this Wednesday (2/27) afternoon at 4pm PT as we broadcast LIVE from Taste Chicago in Burbank.

Wayne will be stopping by to talk about how he got his start in comedy, his time writing for “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” and to discuss the 2nd ANNUAL WAYNE FEDERMAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL,” which will feature a slate of stand-up comedians such as Sarah Silverman, Aziz Ansari, Dana Gould & Bill Burr, who will screen for the public the films that inspired them.

The “2nd Annual Wayne Federman International Film Festival” will run from February 27th – March 2nd at Cinefamily on Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles.

Show starts at 4pm PT (6pm CT / 7pm ET). Stop on by  Taste Chicago and experience the show in person, otherwise you can stream it from our website or subscribe for free and download the show on iTunes. You can also listen on the go on your Android/iPhone/iPad device via Stitcher.

Wayne Federman is a comedian, actor, comedy writer, and author. He has performed on The Tonight Show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and has his own half‐hour stand‐up special on Comedy Central. He is noted for numerous brief comedic appearances in films like The 40‐Year‐Old Virgin, Legally Blonde, 50 First Dates, Knocked Up, Step Brothers, and Funny People. He portrayed “Dean Weinstock” on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm and has also appeared on The League, The Wizards of Waverly Place, and The Larry Sanders Show.

Wayne was also was the head monologue writer for NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and just received a WGA Award nomination for writing the 2012 The Independent Spirit Awards. He hosts an annual Christmas show at Largo and The Wayne Federman International Film Festival at CineFamily and also co‐authored the bestselling sports biography MARAVICH (“The definitive biography of Pistol Pete Maravich” ESPN).

You can follow Wayne on Twitter @Federman

Actor Corey Stoll (House of Cards, Midnight in Paris, The Bourne Legacy) joins us on The Matthew Aaron Show this Tuesday (2/26) afternoon starting at 4pm PT.

Corey will be joining us to discuss his career, his role on the groundbreaking Netflix series HOUSE OF CARDS, as well as his upcoming projects.

Show starts at 4pm PT (6pm CT / 7pm ET). Stream the live show from our website or subscribe for free and download the show on iTunes. You can also listen on the go on your Android/iPhone/iPad device via Stitcher.

Corey Stoll is an American stage and screen actor. He received a Drama Desk Award nomination as Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play for Intimate Apparel, opposite Tony winner and Oscar nominee Viola Davis.

Stoll was born on the Upper West Side of New York City, New York. He was raised Jewish. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1998, and from New York University’s Graduate Acting Program at the Tisch School of the Arts in 2003. He studied drama at Long Lake Camp For The Arts from 1988 through 1992.

He has appeared in several films, including North Country, Lucky Number Slevin, the TV movie A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story, Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, and Push. In 2010, he appeared in Helena from the Wedding and Salt. He also had a guest appearance on the “Sacrifice” episode of Numb3rs. Stoll starred as LAPD Detective Tomas “TJ” Jaruszalski on the NBC police drama Law & Order: LA.

Stoll played Ernest Hemingway in Woody Allen’s 2011 film Midnight in Paris for which he received an Independent Spirit Award nomination. Stoll, who is mostly bald, wore a custom wig for the role.

Currently he can be seen as the character Peter Russo on the Netflix original series “House of Cards.”

Author, TV Consultant & former CBS Executive Jim McKairnes joins us on The Matthew Aaron Show this Wednesday (2/20) afternoon as we broadcast LIVE from Taste Chicago in Burbank starting at 4pm PT.

Our old pal Jim will be joining us to discuss his new book “103 WAYS TO GET INTO TV (BY 102 WHO DID, PLUS ME)” as well as this years lackluster TV pilot season.

Show starts at 4pm PT (6pm CT / 7pm ET). Stop on by Taste Chicago and experience the show in person, otherwise you can stream it from our website or subscribe for free and download the show on iTunes. You can also listen on the go on your Android/iPhone/iPad device via Stitcher.

A 23-year veteran of the television industry, 15 at CBS, Jim McKairnes is currently a TV producer and consultant, as well as an adjunct college instructor and guest-lecturer.

He was born and raised in Philadelphia, graduating from that city’s Temple University with a B.A. in Journalism. Thereafter, he worked as an entertainment-magazine editor and freelance writer – the combination of which eventually took him to Los Angeles to pursue a life-long dream of working in the TV-executive ranks as a network programmer. An encounter with legendary producer Norman Lear soon after his arrival led to McKairnes being introduced to and then hired by then-CBS-President Jeff Sagansky.

At CBS, McKairnes initially divided his responsibilities between the Current Programming and Scheduling departments, but he was eventually tapped for a full-time role in the latter area, where his expertise could best be applied. Thereafter, he was part of the team that took the network from worst in the 1990s to first in the 2000s under the leadership of CBS President Leslie Moonves. A TV historian, McKairnes, in addition to his Scheduling duties, contributed to and involved himself in all areas of CBS: He created and produced the on-air prime-time series called “CBS Moments,” which showcased the network’s storied history as it celebrated its landmark 75^th anniversary in 2003; he was instrumental in the development of several made-for-TV movies and network specials; and he contributed to various promotional campaigns each season of his tenure.

After 13 years and as a Senior Vice-President at CBS, McKairnes was recruited by Discovery Communications in 2006 to head up that Maryland-based company’s 11 networks as its Executive Vice-President of Scheduling, where he was introduced to and then immersed himself in the world of cable TV. Eventually he returned in Los Angeles, where he was invited by Moonves to return to CBS, as well, for a role on the company’s studio side, serving as Senior Vice President in charge of developing new comedies for its cable division from 2008 to 2010.

A writer by birth and training, McKairnes has been focusing on the creative end of the business since 2010, authoring articles, scripts, and books — the first two of which (about the TV industry) are recently published. In addition, he has been serving as a consultant for various TV networks. He also speaks at colleges around the country and holds an adjunct-faculty position at Chicago’s DePaul University, where he teaches a self-created “TV 101” course, mentors upcoming industry hopefuls; and he works with the Television Academy on its long-standing Archive project, interviewing key figures who contributed to the medium’s history. He also created a web series about television for TV.com; and, in 2013, served as executive-producer of a planned cable talk-show.

He lives in the Los Angeles suburb of Manhattan Beach.

Aussie Writer/Producer/Actor Jason Gann (Wilfred) joins us on The Matthew Aaron Show this Wednesday (2/13) afternoon as we broadcast LIVE from Taste Chicago in Burbank starting at 4pm PT.

Jason joins us to discuss his career as well as his hit FX series WILFRED, which he created and stars in along side Elijah Wood. He’ll explain how it originated as a short film, then a successful Australian TV series before making the jump to US airwaves. Wilfred returns for a third season on FX this summer.

The gorgeous and talented Actress Kate Kelton (Haven, Bullet in the Face, Harold & Kumar go to White Castle…) joins in the fun as our special guest co-host.

Show starts at 4pm PT (6pm CT / 7pm ET). Stop on by Taste Chicago and experience the show in person, otherwise you can stream it from our website or subscribe for free and download the show on iTunes. You can also listen on the go on your Android/iPhone/iPad device via Stitcher.

Based on a short film that screened at Sundance in 2003, Jason Gann co-created and starred in the Australian series of Wilfred beginning in 2005. For the U.S. version on FX, Jason serves as executive producer, writer and as the title character “Wilfred.”

The first season of FX’s Wilfred (U.S.) was met with glowing reviews garnering Jason The Screaming Banshee Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Comedy and GQ Australia’s Comedian of the Year.

Jason’s acclaimed performance in the Australian Wilfred earned him a myriad of awards including nominations for The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award (AFI) for Best Male Performance in a Comedy and a Logie Award for Best Performance in a Television Comedy. Jason’s writing on Wilfred earned him an AFI for Best Screenplay in Television.

Prior to Wilfred, Jason, based in Australia, wrote and starred in the television series The Wedge on Network Ten, in which he created the character of “Mark Wary.” Jason’s performance was a sensation, and he produced a spin-off series for Network Ten called Mark Loves Sharon. Jason served as creator, executive producer, writer and lead actor.

Jason’s feature-film work includes Rats and Cats, The Illustrated Family Doctor, Thunderstruck and Gettin’ Square.

Jason currently lives in Los Angeles.

Kate Kelton’s unforgettable turn in cult-classic, Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle (2004), cemented her love of the craft after her print and commercials beginnings in Toronto, Canada.

She was the world’s first non-blond “Tic Tac Girl”, in an enormously popular campaign that aired for almost a decade.

Kelton made her big-screen debut at the Toronto International Film Festival, in a brief cameo in Oscar-nominated director Deepa Mehta’s, The Republic of Love (2000).

Alongside several indie films and TV guest spots, it was Shaggy’s hit music video for, “It Wasn’t Me”, that first exposed her to the global audience Tic Tac would later reach.
She was born in Bamberg, Germany, and grew up traveling across Europe with her artist mother. By the age of 7, they had moved to Canada, and after attending performing arts high school, Etobicoke School of the Arts, she went on to study Film at Ryerson Polytechnic University.

Kelton minored in philosophy and psychology, graduating with honors and a Bachelor of Applied Arts degree.

Besides exhibiting her artwork internationally, Kelton was also published as a contributing author in ‘Making It in High Heels: Inspiring Stories by Women for Women of All Ages’ (BurmanBooks Inc.).

Actress Vinessa Shaw (Side Effects, 3:10 to Yuma, The Hills Have Eyes…) joins us on The Matthew Aaron Show as we broadcast LIVE from Taste Chicago in Burbank this Wednesday (2/6) afternoon at 4pm PT.

Vinessa will be stopping by to discuss her career and recent role opposite Jude Law in Director Steven Soderbergh’s new film SIDE EFFECTS, which hits theaters nationwide this Friday.

Show starts at 4pm PT (6pm CT / 7pm ET). If you’re in the LA area stop on by Taste Chicago and experience the show in person, otherwise you can listen on our website, subscribe and download it for free with iTunes, or stream it on your Android/iPhone/iPad device compliments of Stitcher.

VINESSA SHAW has established herself in Hollywood as one of the industry’s more versatile breakthrough female talents. She shines in every role she takes with a remarkable combination of keen skill and stunning beauty.

In addition to a recurring role on the hit CBS show “Vegas” opposite Dennis Quaid, Shaw can next be seen in Steven Soderbergh’s crime drama Side Effects alongside Jude Law, Channing Tatum, and Rooney Mara. The film centers around a woman who turns to prescription medication as a way of handling her anxiety about her husband’s impending release from prison. Open Road Films will release the thriller on February 8, 2013.

Shaw is currently filming director/screenwriter Tristan Patterson’s crime drama biopic Electric Slide with Jim Sturgess, Chloë Sevigny, and Isabel Lucas. The film, set in the 1980’s, is based on the true story of a Los Angeles furniture store owner named Dodson (Sturgess), who robs a bank to impress his new girlfriend. The handsome and charismatic Dodson went on to rob 72 more banks in just a matter of months, and earned himself the nickname “The Gentleman Bandit” after often charming bank tellers into emptying their cash draws.

Most recently, Shaw starred in Big Miracle opposite Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski. The film, which is based on a true story, follows a Greenpeace activist and a news anchor in Alaska on a campaign to save a family of gray whales. In 2009, Shaw starred alongside Gwyneth Paltrow, and Joaquin Phoenix in the romantic drama Two Lovers, which is released February 13, 2009. The film, directed by James Gray, debuted during the Cannes Film Festival, and was a nominee for the prestigious Palm d’Or prize. The film follows a New York City bachelor (Phoenix) as his heart struggles between two women- the woman approved by his family and friends, and his volatile and seductive new neighbor. In 2008, Shaw also starred in the acclaimed indie drama, Garden Party. A working child actress for many years, Shaw’s breakthrough role came under the direction of legendary director, Stanley Kubrick, when she played affable prostitute Domino’ in Eyes Wide Shut. Most notably, Shaw took a shining turn in the successful western drama 3:10 to Yuma, co-starring Christian Bale and Russell Crowe. Shaw, along with her co-stars, was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in 2007 for her work on the film.

In 1991, Shaw made her TV acting debut in the NBC TV-movie Long Road Home and hit the big screen the following year with a featured role in the comedy Ladybugs, co-starring Rodney Dangerfield and Jonathan Brandis. That same year, Shaw had a recurring role as the love interest of the title teen, played by Tobey Maguire, on Fox’s acclaimed but short-lived comedy Great Scott! Shaw also starred alongside Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Thora Birch in the supernatural children’s comedy Hocus Pocus. Additional childhood credits include Coyote Summer, Wayward Son, and the quirky independent L.A. Without a Map.

After her breakout in Eyes Wide Shut, Shaw co-starred in the Kathryn Bigelow feature Weight of Water, alongside Sean Penn and Sarah Polley. In 2000, Shaw took a starring role in the NBC miniseries The ’70s, playing a suburban girl who pursues a life of activism when she is done wrong by her conservative boyfriend and is turned on to the feminist movement. Starring opposite Amy Smart, Shaw reached her largest audience with her solid turn in the highly-rated miniseries. Shaw most recently starred in 40 Days and 40 Nights opposite Josh Hartnett, in Woody Allen’s Melinda and Melinda with Will Ferrell, and in the horror spectacular The Hills Have Eyes.

As a child, Shaw made her singing debut alongside musician, Peter Alsop, with whom she recorded and toured as a part of the Karamazoff Brothers Circus. Shaw has appeared on the covers of Seventeen and British Vogue.

Actor/Writer/Producer Marlon Wayans (A Haunted House, The Lady Killers, Scary Movie 1 & 2…) joins us on The Matthew Aaron Show this Wednesday (1/16) afternoon starting at 4pm PT.

Marlon will be with us to discuss his career and his new film A HAUNTED HOUSE which hit theaters last weekend and is currently the #2 movie in the country.

Show starts at 4pm PT (6pm CT / 7pm ET). Listen live on our website, subscribe for free and download the show on iTunes, or listen on the go using your Android/iPhone/iPad compliments of Stitcher.

Multi-talented Marlon Wayans graduated from the prestigious High School of Performing Arts in New York and Howard University’s Film School. He is best known for getting his start in Hollywood as a cast member of the Emmy award winning comedy series, In Living Color. Marlon went on to create executive produce and star in The Wayans Bros on the WB.

Together with brothers, Keenen and Shawn Wayans, and producer Rick Alvarez, he formed the successful production company, Wayans Brothers Entertainment. Some notable credits include: The Ladykillers with Tom Hanks, directed by the Coen Brothers; the record breaking Scary Movie and Scary Movie 2, Little Man, White Chicks, Norbit, Behind the Smile and Paramount comedy Dance Flick. Marlon’s compelling dramatic performance as drug addict in Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream proved he could do more than comedy. Most recently, Marlon was seen starring in the Paramount box office smash, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra with Channing Tatum.

Projects in development include: Super Bad James Dynomite, based on his comic book series of the same name; Pretty Ugly with DreamWorks, The Year of Living Biblically, and an animated series for TBS entitled The Black Family based on the illustrations of Todd Goldman to be written by Ali Leroi (Everybody Hates Chris, Are We There Yet).

Next, he will be seen portraying the title role in Sony Pictures, Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said? Produced by Sandler and Chris Rock. Marlon will also star in the upcoming Harmony Korine film Twinkle, Twinkle.

Marlon continues to publish books under the 101 Ways title including 101 Ways to Know You’re a Golddigger, 101 Ways You Know It’s Time to Get Out Of Your Mama’s House and 101 Ways to Know You’re Having a Ghetto Christmas as well as the children’s series Boo Crew which stemmed from the animated series the Wayans’ created for Nickelodeon.

Marlon Wayans resides in Los Angeles.

Director Ruben Fleisher (Gangster Squad, 30 Minutes or Less, Zombieland…) joins us on The Matthew Aaron Show as we broadcast LIVE from Taste Chicago in Burbank this Wednesday (1/9) afternoon starting at 4:30pm PT.

Ruben will discuss his career and new star studded film Gangster Squad, which hits theaters this Friday.

Show starts at 4:30pm PT (6:30pm CT / 7:30pm ET). If you’re in the area, stop on in Taste Chicago and see us, if not you can still stream the live show from our website, subscribe for free and download the show on iTunes, or listen on the go with your smartphone/tablet via Stitcher.

You can follow Ruben on Twitter @rubenfleischer.

RUBEN FLEISCHER directed his first feature, “Zombieland,” a “zom-com” about the post-apocalyptic zombie world, starring Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin. His second film, “30 Minutes or Less,” is a twisted dark comedy starring Eisenberg, Danny McBride, Aziz Ansari, Nick Swardson and Michael Peña.

Fleischer is currently producing the indie feature “Two Night Stand,” and is set to direct and executive produce the film adaptation of the popular “Spy Hunter” video game. Under his two-year production deal with 20th Century Fox Television, he has several comedy and drama projects in development, including the pilot “Dirty Blondes,” starring Rachael Harris and Angela Kinsey.

Fleischer began his film career as the assistant to director Miguel Arteta on “Chuck & Buck” and “The Good Girl.” He began his television career as the director/producer of “Gumball 3000: Six Days in May,” a documentary about the popular annual British international road rally; there, Fleischer met Rob Dyrdek and Christopher “Big Black” Boykin, with whom he co-created and developed the hit MTV reality television show “Rob & Big.” After three successful seasons the show ended, only to be followed up by Rob Dyrdek’s “Fantasy Factory,” which Fleischer co-created and executive produced, and which is currently airing on MTV.

Actor/Producer/Author Kevin Sorbo (Hercules, Andromeda, Soul Surfer…) joins us on The Matthew Aaron Show this Wednesday (12/19) afternoon starting at 4pm PT.

Kevin joins us to discuss his career, upcoming projects, and his new book TRUE STRENGTH: My Journey from Hercules to Mere Mortal and How Nearly Dying Saved My Life, which chronicles the near fatal strokes he suffered and how he battled his way back.

Show starts at 4pm PT (6pm CT / 7pm ET). You can stream the live show via our website, subscribe and download the show for free on iTunes, or listen on your Android/iPhone/iPad compliments of Stitcher.

Kevin Sorbo has enjoyed success on television for over 20 consecutive years, a feat rarely accomplished by an actor.

Sorbo quickly rose to stardom in the title role of the hit series, “Hercules, the Legendary Journeys”. The immense popularity of the 5 initial 2-hour telefilms in 1993 resulted in the launch of a weekly series by 1994. The series not only became a breakout hit by becoming the number one first-run program in syndication, it also passed “Baywatch” as the most watched TV show in the world. The innovative action hour revitalized the entire action/adventure genre on television and fostered two spin-off series, “Xena, Warrior Princess”, and “Young Hercules”. Sorbo also directed two episodes of the show, and co-wrote one installment.

Following the success of “Hercules”, Sorbo went on to star in the lead role of “Captain Dylan Hunt” in “Gene Roddenberry’s, Andromeda”. The series, based upon writings from the late “Star Trek” creator’s archives, debuted as the number one hour show in first run syndication and held that spot throughout it’s five year run from 2000-2005.

In 1997, Sorbo made his feature film debut in Universal Studio’s “Kull, the Conqueror”, a prequel to “Conan, the Barbarian”. Other films include, “Walking Tall, the Payback”, “Walking Tall, Lone Justice, “Last Chance Café”, “Something Beneath”, “Clipping Adam”, “Never Cry Werewolf”, “An American Carol” with David Zucker, “Meet the Spartans”, “Lightning Strikes”, “Tommy and the Cool Mule”, “Prairie Fever”, and “Avenging Angel” which aired the summer of 2007 and was the third highest rated movie in the history of the Hallmark Channel. Sorbo also starred in “Meet the Spartans” a spoof on “300″ for New Regency and 20th Century Fox. “’Fire From Below”, “Flesh Wounds”, “Bitch Slap”, “Paradox”, “What If”, “Abalar: Tales of an Ancient Empire”, “Kings of Mykonos”, and “Julia X” are all films being released in 2010. Films in preproduction and are scheduled to be shot in 2010 include, “Puzzle Vision”, “The Illuminati”, “Sleeping With the Lion”, “Hunting Ground Earth”, “Abel’s Field”, and “Beyond the Farthest Star”.

Sorbo has guest starred on the hit shows “Just Shoot Me”, “According to Jim”, “Hope and Faith”, “Two and a Half Men, “The Middleman”, “Psych”, and had recurring appearances on “Dharma and Greg”, and on Fox’s “The OC” in 2006-2007. He also appeared in the season one finale of the hit comedy series “Gary, Unmarried”. In 2005, he signed an unprecedented development deal with ABC/Touchstone Television that resulted in the creation of “Bobby Cannon”, a half-hour comedy pilot written by Barry Kemp of “Coach” and “Newhart” fame. “Wolf Canyon” is a new pilot comedy set for an early 2010 release. He will also be shooting a new one hour series, “The Handyman” written by Michael Sloane of “The Equalizer” fame. Sorbo also did the voice over work on two new video game releases – “The Conduit” and “God of War 3″ where he worked with Rip Torn and Malcolm McDowell.

Sorbo, since 1997, is also spokesman for A World Fit For Kids, a non-profit organization that provides gang, drug, and dropout prevention to teens through mentoring programs. Working with over 12,000 children in the Los Angeles School District, World Fit has a 100% graduation rate in a school system that has a 54% drop out rate. The program was awarded the Gold Star from the California Governors office for being the best after school program in the state of California. Sorbo hosts a celebrity golf tournament in Las Vegas that raises money for his foundation as the program is now going nationwide. He was more recently named national spokesperson as successor to Arnold Schwarzenegger for The Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit organization working to ensure that all children have access to safe, enriching after school programs.

Actors Nick Searcy (Justified, Moneyball, The Cast Away…) & Jim O’Heir (Parks & Rec, The Mentalist, Parenthood…) join us on The Matthew Aaron Show as we broadcast from Taste Chicago this Wednesday(12/12/12).

Our pal Nick will be here to continue our conversation from last month, NICK SEARCY: ACTING SCHOOL, as well as to discuss to new season of JUSTIFIED.

Jim drops by to discuss his career, what it’s like to play the lovable office punching bag Jerry Gergich on NBC’s Emmy nominated PARKS & RECREATION, as well as some of his upcoming projects.

Show will air at 8pm PT (10pm CT / 11pm ET). If you are in the LA area drop on in Taste Chicago at 4pm PT and experience the show in person. If you can’t make it out you can still listen to the live show via our website, subscribe and download the show for free on iTunes, or stream the show on your Android/iPhone/iPad compliments of Stitcher.

Nick Searcy, a consistent presence in television and film for nearly 20 years, has starred in independent films as well as studio blockbusters, including The Ugly Truth, Blood Done Sign My Name, The Dead Girl, An American Crime, Runaway Jury, Cast Away, Head of State, and Fried Green Tomatoes, among others.

On television, he was a series regular on 7 Days, American Gothic, From the Earth to the Moon, Rodney, and last season’s CW Sunday night drama, Easy Money. Searcy has guest starred on countless shows including, The Mentalist, Lie to Me, Without a Trace, The West Wing, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and NCIS. He also shocked horror fans in the features Deadly End (a.k.a. Neighborhood Watch), Timber Falls, and Cold Storage.

In the past year, he starred opposite Miley Cyrus in the Disney feature The Last Song, and the Sony/Columbia Pictures feature Moneyball with Brad Pitt. You can follow Nick on Twitter at @yesnicksearcy.

The state of Illinois is home to some our country’s greatest historic attractions. The tallest man in the world, the first skyscraper, sophisticated farming equipment via John Deer and the premiere aquarium were all born in the state whose Native American meaning translates into “Tribe of Superior Men.” This leaves little surprise that one of prime time television’s most loveable losers, ‘Jerry Gergich’ of NBC’s “Parks & Recreations,” is brought to life on a weekly basis by Chicago’s own funnyman, Jim O’Heir.

While mostly recognized for playing the office dingbat on another one of Greg Daniels’ successful brainchildren, O’Heir’s edible face has graced the small screen on a regular bases for the last 15 years. Credits include; “The Mentalist,” “ER,” “Friends,” “The Drew Carey Show,” “Ally McBeal,” “Diagnosis Murder,” “Malcolm in the Middle,” Star Trek Voyager,” “Just Shoot Me,” and countless other critically acclaimed shows. It wasn’t long before Comedy Central fell in love with Jim and gave him one of the leading roles in their original program “Strip Mall.” Jim can also be seen alongside Steve Carell and Keira Knightley in Focus Features’ “SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD.”

As for life off screen, O’Heir stays busy with a potpourri mix of activities including; boating, international travel, poker and seizing as many opportunities as possible to cross paths with old Hollywood greats. He is also a self-proclaimed pet lover and supports various organizations that work to protect the well being of animals. While nobody will make your belly ache like Jim, you might not want to carpool with him, as he is very open about his appreciation for Barry Manilow and the occasional Broadway show tune. Other hobbies include cooking and watching games shows. Rest assure, he is Smarter than a 5th Grader.

Parks and Recreation is now filming its 5th season which currently airs Thursdays at 9:30 pm on NBC.

Jim resides in the Los Angeles area with his two dogs, Aspen and Rex. You can follow Jim on Twitter @JimOHeir.

Writer/Producer/Actor Brad Bell (Husbands) & Actress Nadine Velazquez (Flight, The League, My Name is Earl..) join The Matthew Aaron Show as we broadcast LIVE this Wednesday (12/5) afternoon from The Parlor Hollywood in Los Angeles starting at 4pm PT.

Brad drops by to discuss his smash hit, Award winning web series HUSBANDS which he co-created, writes & stars in, as well as the recently launched comic book version based off the series.

Nadine stops in to discuss her career, her role in FLIGHT opposite Denzel Washington, the current season of the FX series THE LEAGUE, as well as her upcoming projects.

Show starts at 4pm PT (6pm CT / 7pm ET). If you are in the LA area, drop on in The Parlor and experience the show in person. If you can’t make it out, you can still listen live on our website, subscribe to our iTunes, or stream the show on your Android/iPhone/iPad compliments of Stitcher.

Brad Bell is show-runner and star of Husbands, the newlywed sitcom which made history as the first show online to be honored by prestigious television institute The Paley Center. Husbands remains the only new media series featured by The New Yorker, in a rave review that hailed Bell as “the standout.”

Bell has worked as a satirist and recording artist since 2008, performing on YouTube and iTunes as the online persona Cheeks, and building a dedicated fan base. In 2012, Bell became Consulting Producer for VH1′s Pop Up Video. Follow Cheeks on Twitter at @gocheeksgo.

Nadine Velazquez captured our hearts as ‘Catalina’, the sexy hotel maid/stripper with a heart of gold, on the People’s Choice winning NBC comedy series, MY NAME IS EARL, for which she received four Alma Award nominations in the Best Supporting Actress category.

This fall, moviegoers had a chance to see her dramatic side as she starred opposite Denzel Washington in the Robert Zemekis directed film FLIGHT, which hit theaters nationwide on November 2, 2012. Her future films are action thriller SNITCH, where she stars as ‘Analisa’, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s wife. Summit Entertainment will release the film on April 4, 2013. That will be followed by Lionsgate comedy AZTEC WARRIOR, where Nadine plays the romantic lead opposite Luiz Guzman.

Nadine continues to be a familiar face on television with recurring roles as sultry ‘Sofia’ on FX’s hit comedy, THE LEAGUE and this past season as sweet Southerner ‘Didi Ruano’ on CW’s HART OF DIXIE. Daily Variety singled out Velazquez as one of ‘Ten Actors to Watch’, and USA Today named her ‘One of Five Rising Stars to Watch Closely.’ She was additionally picked by Entertainment Weekly for their summer ‘Must List,’ and included in People En Espanol for its ’50 Most Beautiful People.’

A Chicago native, Nadine currently resides in Los Angeles. She is an impassioned supporter of charities that protect the rights of disenfranchised youth. Follow her on Twitter at @nadinevelazquez.

Comic Book legend Todd McFarlane (Spawn, Image Comics, McFarlane Toys…) join us on The Matthew Aaron Show this Thursday (11/29) evening starting at 6pm PT.

Todd will be joining us to discuss his career, where his love of comics came from and his new book “The Art of Todd McFarlane: The Devil’s in the Details” which is in bookstores now.

Show starts at 6pm PT (8pm CT / 9pm ET). Listen live via our website or subscribe for free and download the show on iTunes. You can also stream the show on your mobile/iPhone/iPad via Stitcher.

Born in Canada in 1961, McFarlane’s road trip to creative autonomy began when he accepted an assignment penciling for Marvel/Epic Comics in March 1984. From there, he worked his way to the top of the talent roster before leaving Marvel to help found Image Comics with six other artists.

It was then that Todd introduced his own character, Spawn. The book’s debut in 1992 sold an amazing 1.7 million copies, an unprecedented feat in independent comics. From there came a whirlwind of growth and expansion: more comics, action figures, film, animation and the Web.

In 1994, Todd founded McFarlane Toys, because he wanted to maintain maximum creative control over his Spawn character. Over the years, the company has become one of the largest, most renowned toy manufacturers in the world. In addition to Spawn, McFarlane Toys has produced figures from such properties as KISS, Shrek, X-Files, Austin Powers, Metal Gear Solid, Clive Barker, Akira, the Beatles, Army of Darkness, Jaws, Rob Zombie, Alien, Predator, AC/DC and dozens of others.

Todd still has a passion for sports – he grew up wanting to be a professional baseball player — but the fact that McFarlane Toys currently has the official rights to produce action figures of professional football, baseball, hockey and basketball players helps scratch that itch. McFarlane also had a minority interest in the ownership of the Edmonton Oilers hockey club and owns the McFarlane Collection of home run baseballs from the 1998 Mark McGwire-Sammy Sosa race, including McGwire’s $3 million #70 ball.

Today, McFarlane, his wife, Wanda, and their three children reside in Arizona, where Todd maintains a happily hectic balance between his family and all his interests (sports, film, comics, action figures).

Screenwriters Marcus Dunstan & Patrick Melton (Saw IV – Saw 3D, The Collector, The Collection…) join us on The Matthew Aaron Show this Wednesday (11/28) evening starting at 7pm PT.

Marcus & Dunstan sit down with us to discuss their careers, why they work so well together, and their new film “THE COLLECTION”(which Marcus also directed). The film hits theaters nationwide on November 30th.

Show starts at 7pm PT (9pm CT / 10pm ET). Listen live via our website or subscribe for free and download the show on iTunes. You can also stream the show on your mobile/iPhone/iPad via Stitcher.

MARCUS DUNSTAN is an emerging filmmaker who has penned screenplays for a number of prominent genre films, including installments in the popular Saw and Feast franchises.

Dunstan was born in Boise, Idaho, and raised from the age of five in Macomb, Illinois. He met writing partner Patrick Melton while studying at the University of Iowa. The duo’s first collaboration, Feast, was produced for season three of “Project Greenlight.” The Feast films became a trilogy for Dimension.
Dunstan and Melton turned to more serious horror fare in their collaboration on the Saw franchise for Lionsgate. Melton and Dunstan co-wrote Saw IV, Saw V, Saw VI and Saw 3D for the studio. They also did an un-credited rewrite on another 3-D chiller, My Bloody Valentine.

Dunstan made his directorial debut with 2009’s The Collector, the result of another creative collaboration with Melton. The film starred Josh Stewart, Andrea Roth and Juan Fernández.

The writing duo recently completed adapting their first novel, Blacklight, into a script for producer Michael De Luca. Summer 2013 sees the release of Guillermo Del Toro’s Pacific Rim, on which Melton and Dunstan contributed a production polish for Warner Bros. They have also commenced writing the sci-fi adventure Rise for the studio and are adapting the popular video game “God of War” for Universal.

Currently, Dunstan spends every waking moment being grateful.

PATRICK MELTON is an accomplished screenwriter whose career is on a rapid upward trajectory. It was his involvement with the Saw franchise that first brought wide recognition to Melton and his co-writer Marcus Dunstan. They scripted Saw IV, Saw V, Saw VI and Saw 3D for a worldwide total of nearly $500 million in box-office receipts.

Most recently, Melton and Dunstan wrote horror films The Collector, directed by Dunstan and starring Josh Stewart, Andrea Roth and Juan Fernández, and Piranha 3DD, with Danielle Panabaker and David Koechner. They are currently working on God of War for Universal and a sci-fi epic called Rise, for Warner Bros.

Melton was born in Champaign, Illinois. He attended Evanston Township High School and graduated from the University of Iowa, where he met Marcus Dunstan. Melton also attended Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where he received an M.F.A. in screenwriting.

In 2004, Melton and Dunstan won the “Project Greenlight” season-three competition. The series aired on Bravo and resulted in the film Feast. Two sequels followed.

Halloween 2011 marked the release of Melton and Dunstan’s debut novel, Black Light, co-written with Stephen Romano. It was published by Little Brown imprint Mulholland Books.

The writing team has also performed un-credited work on Piranha, My Bloody Valentine and most recently Pacific Rim, which is being directed by Guillermo Del Toro.

Actor/Producer Brett Cullen (The Dark Knight Rises, Red Dawn, LOST, Apollo 13…) joins us on The Matthew Aaron Show Wednesday (11/21) evening starting at 7pm PT.

Brett will sit down with Matt to discuss his roles in the upcoming flicks Red Dawn (with Chris Hemsworth), The Guilt Trip (with Seth Rogen), and 42 (with Harrison Ford).

Show starts at 7pm PT (9pm CT / 10pm ET). Listen live on our website or subscribe for free and download the show on iTunes. You can also stream the show on your mobile/iPad/iPhone via Stitcher.

Brett Cullen is a veteran of film and television who has appeared in a number of feature films including “Apollo 13,” “Something to Talk About” and “The Replacements”. Most recently, Cullen was seen in “The Dark Knight Rises” directed by Christopher Nolan, and “Puncture” directed by Adam Kessen.

On television, Brett has starred in six different series including “Young Riders”, “Orleans” “Simple Life,” “Legacy” and “Damages”. Most recently, Cullen had a recurring role on the CBS series “Person of Interest” & “Make It or Break It” on ABC Family. Cullen is also known for his character Goodwin in ABC’s “Lost”.