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PODCAST

Beyond the Mic with Sean Dillon

Sean Dillon | Beyond the Mic

I believe every person has value. Behind every headline, hustle, hard-earned moment, and family tales there’s a story worth sharing. That’s why I built Beyond the Mic. I talk with artists, athletes, authors, icons and people you need to know. I don’t do puff pieces. I ask questions that get to the real stuff: the doubts, wins, detours, and moments that shaped them. The stories that you normally don"t get to hear. Some stories make you laugh. Some hit you in the gut. All of them remind you: people

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All Episodes

05:59

James McAvoy: Rookie Director at 45, Sweating Blood...

Beyond the Mic with Sean Dillon ·

2026/10/09

James McAvoy was 45 and a rookie."I'm a rookie director. It's like being 22 as an actor." He directed his first film, "CALIFORNIA SCHEMIN'". What did it feel like to him? Anxiety. Pressure. And the energy that came with both. It could have crippled him. It didn't.Who is harder on you, the actor or the director? The director. He is sweating blood for it.As an actor, "I've made my peace with the fact that people won't like everything I do." He still does good work. In between he does some bad stuff

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07:43

Jimmy Brown of UB40 Hates Airports, So the Band Takes...

Beyond the Mic with Sean Dillon ·

2026/10/07

"We've been together since we were kids. So we like each other's company." Jimmy BrownGrowing up every teacher tried to make Jimmy Brown stop tapping. Even his mom tried. All of them failed. He is still doing it. I asked who tried hardest to get him to stop: "All of them."Jimmy is a founding member of UB40, the band that took its name off an unemployment form. Why they take a bus on tour instead of flying? Simple, he hates airports. America was designed for being on the road, with truck stops and

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09:22

Michael Epstein - Truths of "Fault Line: Haditha"

Beyond the Mic with Sean Dillon ·

2026/09/29

Twenty years ago, Michael Epstein made a film about a Marine Reserve unit out of Columbus, Ohio. That film put him inside the Haditha case, and he never left it. The staff sergeant charged with 18 counts of murder, told his lawyers for years he couldn't remember what happened, which is a bad defense friends. Epstein took him back into House 2, the room where the government said he killed a family. The camera was rolling, to see if his memory would come back. He was behind the camera and asking the

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31:16

Jack Stewart Sent Jack Ryan Jr. Underwater Instead of...

Beyond the Mic with Sean Dillon ·

2026/09/28

Scariest environment you haven't written about yet... "The halls of Congress." - Jack StewartJack Stewart spent 23 years landing fighter jets on aircraft carriers at night. He says landing on a carrier never really gets easy, and it never gets enjoyable either. That's the same discipline he brought into taking over Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Jr. series. Instead of writing another cockpit story, Stewart sent his first outing 600 feet underwater instead.The choice traces back to years after he left active

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13:38

Ali Siddiq Explains Why Custom Fit Tour Isn't About...

Beyond the Mic with Sean Dillon ·

2026/09/24

"I have no need for a bell-bottom, double-breasted yellow suit at this point." - Ali SiddiqWelcome Ali SiddiqWe’re joined on the Starline by a comedian who turned down Netflix, bet on himself, and just won the first NAACP Image Award ever given to an independently released special. His special My Father is streaming now. We welcome Ali Siddiq.Ali, let’s go Beyond the Mic You've put out more than fifteen specials, and My Father only came out this year. Why did that one take this long to be ready to

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09:22

James Paxton on Finally Sharing a Screen With Malcolm...

Beyond the Mic with Sean Dillon ·

2026/09/20

"The cool thing about this story is they both teach each other something throughout the film... That's one of my favorite elements of the film, book smart versus street smart." - James PaxtonWelcome James Paxton:We're joined on the Starline by an actor and musician who's built his own lane in Hollywood. He's trading gunslinger banter with Malcolm McDowell in “Last Train to Fortune”. We welcome James Paxton. It’s been a big week for you...James, let's go Beyond the Mic. More than 10 years ago, you

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10:10

Eriq La Salle on Writing Solomon, and Finding His Own...

Beyond the Mic with Sean Dillon ·

2026/09/11

"Solomon, I always envisioned him as the African version of Luca Brasi from The Godfather.", Eriq La SalleWelcome Eriq La Salle:We're joined on the Starline by the actor and director who spent nine seasons on ER, directing your favorite shows and just published his most personal thriller yet, “Laws of Solomon”. We welcome Eriq La Salle.Eriq, let's go Beyond the Mic. As an author, it's your job to get the reader invested in the main character's journey. Why is Solomon's road to peace

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08:37

The Attic Artifact That Led Katie Sanders to Her...

Beyond the Mic with Sean Dillon ·

2026/09/03

"...(Ortiz) never went back to Centron", Katie SandersWelcome Nick Reynolds and Katie SandersWe’re joined on the Starline by a journalist, who chased a 1949 recording to the Marine who saved her grandfather in Nazi-occupied France, and a historian, who kept that Marine's photo on his CIA desk for years. o-authors of “Ortiz's War: The Allies' Secret Weapon Against the Nazis in France”. We welcome Katie Sanders and Nick Reynolds.Friends, let’s go Beyond the Mic. Katie, you found a scratchy old

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08:49

Joe Amodei on "Cold War in Philly: Flyers vs. Russia...

Beyond the Mic with Sean Dillon ·

2026/08/30

"I made a decision very early on to just let the Flyers tell the story."Welcome Joe AmodeiWe're joined on the Starline by a guy who's spent forty years deciding which movies get made and how they get sold and never once his own. That changes now. "Cold War in Philly: Flyers vs. Russia 1976" is his first film in the director's chair, and it's out now. We welcome Joe Amodei.Joe, let’s go Beyond the Mic. Every one of these players is going to be gone within a generation or two, and this film is what's

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29:09

Director Andy Billman Found His Dick Allen Film in an...

Beyond the Mic with Sean Dillon ·

2026/08/27

"What's ironic, Sean, is it's not video, it's audio."Welcome Andy BillmanWe're joined on the Starline by the director who spent four years turning one baseball injustice into a five-part series, “My Father, Dick Allen”. Two Emmys, a Peabody, and a lifelong Cleveland kid at heart. We welcome Andy Billman.Andy, let's go Beyond the Mic. This started as a one-hour film and became a five-part series over four years. What was the moment you realized one hour wasn't going to hold this story?What was the

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32:25

Tom Provost on Young Washington: Decades as a...

Beyond the Mic with Sean Dillon ·

2026/08/22

"You're going to die and nobody's going to remember you 50 years after that." — Tom ProvostWelcome Tom Provost:We’re joined on the Starline by a true Hollywood polymath. Writer, director, actor, teacher, and part time charity CEO. Hollywood’s go to script is in the spotlight now with his film “Young Washington”. We welcome Tom Provost.Tom, let’s go Beyond the Mic. Every version of Washington we've had is the marble statue. What made you want to write him at his most unfinished? He was young, unsure,

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07:47

Josh Turner Watched His Own Record Come Off the Press...

Beyond the Mic with Sean Dillon ·

2026/08/17

"...how different my career would have been had Alan Jackson cut Long Black Train."Welcome Josh Turner:We’re joined on the Starline by a man who stood in a Nashville pressing plant and watched the first copy of his own twenty-year-old record come off the line. "Your Man" turns twenty. We welcome Josh Turner.Josh, let's go Beyond the Mic. You were standing right there at United Record Pressing when the first test press came off the line. What did you do with it?Chris Stapleton sent you the demo. You

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31:51

Robin Christian on Ed Asner, Auschwitz, and Why One...

Beyond the Mic with Sean Dillon ·

2026/08/14

"Nobody cares about your story, whether you're a writer of books or screenwriting.", Robin ChristianWelcome Robin Christian:We're joined on the Starline by a filmmaker who refuses to pick a lane: horror, holiday, musical, true story. The horror-thriller "Below," brings bull sharks to landlocked Illinois. We welcome Robin Christian.Robin, let’s go Beyond the Mic. You've made a bull-shark thriller, a Christmas drama, and a musical, horror. How does your movie making range fit, or does it not fit

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10:06

Daniel Silva on "Ransom", and the Writing Rule He...

Beyond the Mic with Sean Dillon ·

2026/08/11

"If you're a skilled writer, then you can become a 19th century Texan." Daniel SilvaWelcome Daniel Silva:We're joined on the Starline by a #1 New York Times bestselling author whose spy hero just went up against Russian drones in “Ransom” We welcome Daniel Silva.Daniel, let’s go Beyond the Mic. Ransom is part kidnap drama, part global thriller, and you've said it's built around one of the most important security issues facing the West right now. What made that the story?After 26 books with the same

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07:35

Scott Spiezio: The One Thing His Father Couldn't Fix

Beyond the Mic with Sean Dillon ·

2026/07/31

"Find your identity in something that lasts."Welcome Scott Spiezio:We're joined on the Starline by a two time World Series champion who spent his road trips teaching himself guitar in hotel rooms. His memoir “The Hardest Comeback” is out now. We welcome Scott Spiezio.Scott, Let’s go Beyond the Mic. You tell your story from a stage any chance you get. For free, to whoever shows up. What's in the book that most people don't get?Your dad wrote the foreword. He had to sit down and write the opening to a

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11:25

Ryan Weiss host of "Waking Up with Ryan"

Beyond the Mic with Sean Dillon ·

2026/07/29

"I want my daughter to have that kind of compassion when someone's being mean or rude."Welcome Ryan Weiss:We're joined on the Starline by a father, partner, teacher, podcaster and former Broadway star. His latest project is a daily podcast, “Waking Up with Ryan”. We welcome Ryan Weiss.Ryan, let's go Beyond the Mic. You've said, "It was never about becoming someone new. It was about letting go of who I thought I was." That's a pretty different pitch than most of the wellness world makes right now

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08:21

Who's That Girl: Thea Glassman on the Real Story...

Beyond the Mic with Sean Dillon ·

2026/07/28

"I will be so happy to rewatch, watch this every day to talk to every single director, every single writer, every single cast member."Welcome Thea Glassman:We’re joined on the Starline by an entertainment journalist and author who traced classic TV culture in “Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson's Creek”. Now, she's turning her lens to Loft 4D with her new book, “Who's That Girl: The Definitive History of New Girl”. We welcome Thea Glassman.Thea, let's go Beyond the Mic. You wrote a Vanity Fair piece in 2018

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11:16

James Landry Hébert on Authenticity

Beyond the Mic with Sean Dillon ·

2026/07/21

"The lines don't matter. The life does." — James Landry Hébert (On the difference between working with Sam Levinson and Taylor Sheridan.)Welcome James Landry Hébert:We’re joined on the Starline by a character actor born in Lafayette went from Brad Pitt's stand-in, to have Sam Levinson write a role specifically for him. Season 3 of “Euphoria” is streaming now on HBO Max. We welcome James Landry Hébert.James, let’s go Beyond the Mic. You said “Harley didn’t show up fully formed, we found him piece by

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10:31

Billy West on "Voice-A-Versa: Finding My Voice(s)...

Beyond the Mic with Sean Dillon ·

2026/07/15

"I'm not worthless, like my father said I was." - Billy WestWelcome Billy West:We’re joined on the Starline by a voice-over actor who did his best stuff in the 31st Century. His latest project is his book “Voice-A-Versa: Finding My Voice(s) Behind the Mic”. We welcome Billy West.Billy, let’s go Beyond the Mic. You wrote this book about your own life, and then you had to read it out loud for the audiobook in your real voice, no character, nothing. Forty-five years of voices at your disposal, and you

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21:24

Leanne Morgan: Why Her Accent Was Never the Problem

Beyond the Mic with Sean Dillon ·

2026/07/03

"I'm getting death threat and you're getting marriage proposals." — Leanne MorganWelcome Leanne MorganWe're joined on the Starline by a comedian who spent twenty years working Tennessee living rooms before Hollywood caught on. Now her sitcom is headed into season two and her tour keeps adding shows. “The Time of Our Lives Tour” is on the road now. We welcome Leanne Morgan.Leanne, let’s go Beyond the Mic. Before we talk tour, your daddy cut meat for a living. What do you still do at the grocery store

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