The 50/50 Podcast18 Nov 2025

HOW TO: Turn Vulnerability into Creative Power (w/ Lesley Chiang)

This week, we sit down with actor/ singer Lesley Chiang for a fascinating conversation that begins in the heart of the Hong Kong entertainment scene. Lesley breaks down the unique structure of the industry she grew up in—where performers are contracted to a single production company or channel, unlike the freelance, network-hopping model in the U.S. As a third-generation entertainer, she reflects on how deeply acting runs in her blood, and the profound influence of her father, a Hong Kong acting legend whose passion for the craft continues to shape her. Lesley also revisits her public debut as one half of the brother-sister duo Benji & Lesley, unpacking the pressure that came with the public’s awareness of their family legacy, and how transitioning into indie music ultimately gave her the freedom to steer her own creative ship.

Furthermore, Lesley speaks candidly about mental health and how going public with her depression reframed her relationship to artistry and vulnerability. She then takes us inside her new life in Los Angeles—why she made the move, the challenges of essentially starting from scratch, and even the questionable acting classes she found herself in along the way (are they stealing her money? We don't know!)...

Through it all, Lesley shares the lessons that taught her she could never be just an actor or just a singer, but a true multi-hyphenate. Having Lesley on the podcast was quite the honor, and we're thrilled to have her in the 50/50 Fam.

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Episoder(77)

HOW TO: Authentically Produce Love Island (w/ Nicholas Gloria)

This week, we sit down with reality TV producer (and Wyatt's neighbor) Nicholas Gloria to break down the art and business of producing unscripted television. From his early days at Scout Productions (...

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HOW TO: Infuse Physicality Into Your Filmmaking (w/ Santi MacLean)

This week, we sit down with filmmaker and actor Santi MacLean to get physical. Santi breaks down his acting practice, Action Theatre — a highly reactive, physical, and primal form of acting derived fr...

6 Okt 1h 1min

HOW TO: Be Scrappy, and Rapidly Become a Producer (w/ Aisling Lynch)

This week, we’re joined by producer Aisling Lynch of Fourth Wall, who moved to Los Angeles in a yellow Smart Car named Leonardo with just a couple bucks to her name — and quickly began figuring out ho...

29 Sep 1h 9min

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22 Sep 1h 3min

HOW TO: Channel Relentless Passion (w/ David Jacobson) [RE-RELEASE]

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15 Sep 58min

HOW TO: Take Your Show to Edinburgh and Beyond (w/ Britt Berke)

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8 Sep 1h 5min

HOW TO: Provoke, Produce, Perfect (w/ Gabriella Mykal)

This week, we sit down with filmmaker/visual artist Gabriella Mykal to talk about her journey from making experimental films in Texas to CalArts, where she made her first doc feature, RP — a documenta...

1 Sep 1h 24min

HOW TO: Make and Sell a Stand-Up Special (w/ Ruby Karp)

This week, we sit down with comedian Ruby Karp! We briefly recap Ruby's unconventional childhood (for more on that, listen to our first episode with her!); how growing up with a single mom ended up wi...

25 Aug 1h 9min