This little podcaster can't believe her luck! Stuart Beattie - writer of Collateral, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Australia and writer/director of Tomorrow, When The War Began -  joins me for chat. WOO FRICKIN' HOO!  We talk about the ridiculous rollercoster from development to production, being in it for the long haul, the Hollywood rewrite, getting script notes from John Marsden and Pirates as a Star Wars. He busts open the myth of overnight success and shares the origins of midnight screenings. Hmmmm... Maybe it's time for me to keep banker's hours. WARNING: There are snoring puppies and couch farts.

Join me as I chat with the ever affable Bucko, radio host, actor and presenter. A man who fate was decided by a pop up ad! And not the kind you are thinking of... C'mon, get out of the gutter! We discuss the future of radio, the appeal of smokey burnouts, Hollywood's 'definite possibilities', instinct vs. fear and the importance of saying 'YES!'. Bucko was once beaten up by Steven Segal. Not only did he live to tell the tale but got paid for it. One of those crazy Hollywood moments... Hell Yeah! 

Aaron Glenane gives understated chat in this episode. But don't let the chilled out exterior fool you. This guy knows what's what. Only in LA for a month on the back of his powerful performance in Drift, he's been one busy little Aussie. We talk about facial hair, triple threats, how awesome Andy Serkis is, working with George Miller, the weirdness of being dubbed and all manner of things to do with dance. Be warned: there are many a tangent in this one! 

Film Reporter and Cheeky Hugger, Alicia Malone has the best job in the world. If the best job is seeing movies and chatting to the stars. And I think it might be. Always up for an awkward moment, she talks about staring competitions with Emma Stone, hugging Ryan Gosling and calling Jake Gyllenhaal her future husband - TO HIS FACE! Not creepy, no... She reveals that the fine art of networking is really just being nice and making friends. We bond over our mutual admiration for Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg, childhood memories of Bill Collins' Sunday movie matinees and,well, pretty much everything. And we may well have stumbled upon the key to a meaningful life - doing stuff you love with the peeps you love! She is one awesome chick!

Journalist, face of Showtime movie news and family man, Andrew Warne has been the in Hollywood trenches for 25 years, reporting locally and for Australia from the frontline. He's seen some stuff. From the Rodney King riots to rise of Aussiewood to the imminent demise of commercial television. We discuss his ongoing involvement in Australians In Film including his recent switch from president to chairman. We give credit where credit is due - to Paul Hogan and Crocodile Dundee. For better or for worse, if it wasn't for Hoges, Americans wouldn't know we Aussies existed!! 

The straight talking Judi Levine, producer, has seen it all. The highs and lows and the blahs, too. She talks me through the upward trajectory of producing The Sessions, the fine balance between finance and casting, the machinations of the film festival circuit and awards season. Note to self: Even grounded Aussies can get swept away with the hype. AND always remember we may think we are the same but we sure as hell are different to Americans! Oh, and here's to serendipity!!  

Super talented and super dooper down to earth, Claire van der Boom talks about her excellent year - a result of doing what makes you happy and learning to say to no to things. We chat about working with Sam Shepard and David Rabe, sword fighting, 'Hollywood Sexy', living in the fringes, painting cactuses and an experience that I would actually describe as my actor's nightmare! I out her as a history nut. She seems fine with it, though...

Welcome to the wonderful world of Esther Anderson! She is a pure delight and the complete opposite to her sly, cunning, game playing alter- ego Esther on NBC's Siberia. Just don't tell Esther she can't do something. Unless, of course you want her to do it! 

Actor, Musician, Presenter and doting father to Fox and Banjo, Bernard Curry chats with me in his salubrious home with special drop in guest Sullivan Stapleton. Well, why the hell not? Brief as his cameo may be... Bernie and I get to stuck into actorly rejection, how grounding family can be, making music with friends, doing your own stunts and why us Aussies keep getting work in the US. I don't make things too awkward. At least I don't think I don't. You be the judge. 

This is Justin Hanrahan, A.C.S. – D.O.P. (screw you Americans, Imma keeping my vowels), Dad and all round top bloke. Even J.T. thinks so. From swimming with sharks – real ones, not Hollywood ones– to documenting weddings – Hollywood ones, not the other ones - to covering the Hong Kong handover to working on Oprah’s Next Big Thing to hanging out with Frank Gehry, Justin keeps his Aussie self-deprecating humour and hard work ethic about him at all times. This is how you do it peeps. This is how you have an ongoing career doing what you love. As J.T. would sing – what goes around comes around…