Every month, genuine British brothers Ian and Andy Wilson look at a trio of entries in an actor's filmography to gauge their range, talent, and shoe size.
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Who is the highest grossing box office star of all time at time of writing? That's right, Zoe Saldana! No, seriously. And whilst you may know her from some of the most beloved, popular movie franchises of all time (and Avatar), The Brothers Wilson drill down into her career when she's not in a popular franchise. So yes, they do cover Avatar, the supremely successful, yet weirdly unloved 3D sci-fi romp from the mind of James Cameron. But, additionally, the episode looks at ill-received Nina Simone biopic Nina, and the surprise Oscar hit Emilia Perez. Are The Brothers emotionally mature enough t
The 2026 slate for Hey, an Actor! inevitably starts with a well-known comedic actor of Hollywood pedigree: New Jersey's greatest short man, Danny DeVito. The Brothers Wilson skillfully navigate his Taxi sitcom days by covering his film dedicated to his former co-star, Andy Kaufman, in Man on the Moon, as well as one of his first post-Taxi cinematic supporting roles in Romancing the Stone, and his directorial effort in bringing Roald Dahl's Matilda to the silver screen. Along the way, Pandy introduces a new character, Ian learns a new synonym for "taint," and Jerry Lawler is discussed just enou
You know how Christmas comes later each yeah? Well, The Brothers Wilson take this concept to the extreme with Hey, An Actor's End of Year 2025 special in mid-February 2026! With customary apologies, the episode contains what you've come to love and expect with outtakes, Christian's Casting Challenge, and the Tomlinson Awards. Beyond that, the hosts also set the episode around the filmography of the multi-faceted John C Reilly. On the docket are the music biopic mockumentary Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and his most famous double team project with Will Ferrell in Stepbrothers. How do the actu
A rare sighting of The Brothers Wilson means it's time for another Hey, an Actor! And the podcast finally returns to a true Hollywood heavyweight as it scratches the surface of the illustrious career of the legendary Robert De Niro. In a triple-helping of collaborations with his directing soulmate Martin Scorsese, Ian and Pandy examine the poorly received King of Comedy, the career milestone of Taxi Driver, and the gangster paradise represented by Goodfellas, as chosen by the listeners. Along the way, discussion veers between dream sequence endings, Scorsese nepotism, Jim Bowen, and Pandy prof
After a shock hiatus, The Brothers Wilson have returned to not only bring you up to speed with their summer, but also to shine their latest spotlight on Jamie Foxx. There are some unfortunate turns of phrase by the hosts when assessing Foxx's Oscar-winning turn in the Ray Charles biopic Ray, then one host waxes lyrical about the moral shades of grey on display within crime thriller Law Abiding Citizen. And, to finish off, the podcast returns to the oeuvre of Quentin Tarantino as Foxx takes on the titular role within Django Unchained. There's a new jingle based upon Ian's insistence that film c
Hey, an Actor! covers the Welsh legend Catherine Zeta-Jones. On the eve of commencing his 5th decade, Ian joins Pandy to discuss three of her Hollywood films that kicked off and cemented her stardom, having escaped Wales for fear of being typecast. There's the spooky (?) thriller The Haunting, the swashbuckling Mexican folktale The Mask of Zorro, and her Oscar-winning crime musical Chicago. They also discuss how Ian plans to celebrate his (then) upcoming birthday in a way that links to a previously covered story, and there's a brand new catchy jingle that is sure to be the hit of the summer. P
The first episode proper of 2025 is dedicated the legendary comic actor and chocolatier Gene Wilder. As well as referring to previous films covered on HAA, Ian and Pandy examine the classic spoof horror Young Frankenstein, prison-rodeo comedy Stir Crazy, and iconic children's book adaptation Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Along the way, they discuss how important a performer he was to various groups, his amazing legacy in comedy, and his notable collaborations with Mel Brooks and Richard Prior. What links one of the covered films to Breaking Bad? Where do all these ghosts keep coming f
Hey, an Actor! caps off 2024 in 2025 (whoops) by looking at the Tomlinson award-winner for 2024 in 2023, however confusing that might be: Sir Ridley Scott. Subject to one or two thousand bad Geordie impressions by the host who doesn't live in the north east of England, The Brothers Wilson specifically review 1985 fantasy nonsense film Legend, as well as 2012 Alien franchise prequel nonsense Prometheus, before turning the spotlight on the man who directed Alien, Blade Runner, and House of Gucci. As an end of year special, your favorite features are included: outtakes, The Tomlinson Awards, and
Did someone say Dame O'clock? No? Well, either way, Maggie Smith is The Brothers Wilson's final subject in The Year of Redux. This time, they delve more into her early work that brought her acclaim and awards in the form of problematic Shakespeare adaption Othello, her Oscar-winning performance in the multi-story showcase California Suite, and one of her high-profile later-life turns in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Along the way, The Brothers discuss just how far a black-face performance impacts a critically acclaimed piece, get their Errols mixed up, and prepare for their upcoming 2024 rec
As The Year of Redux begins to wind down, The Brothers Wilson revisit America's favorite actor: Tom Hanks. Since his last Hey, an Actor! appearance, he's been acting more, producing more, and become one of the earliest celebrities to contract COVID ahead of the pandemic. Rather than dwell, this episode focuses upon his sophomore Oscar win as the titular Forrest Gump, portraying the famous man in The Da Vinci Code, and embodying Mr. Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. Along the way, Ian offers up a treat for fans of niche British comedy from the mid 90s, Pandy reminisces about educat
The Year of Redux carries on apace as The Brothers Wilson revisit the career of Faye Dunaway. Rather than look at the decline of her career, Ian and Pandy choose instead to review why she was such a star in the first place by considering her New Hollywood breakthrough role within Bonnie and Clyde, her rubbing shoulders with the biggest British stars of the 1970s in the comedic retelling of The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers: Milady's Revenge, and her starring role opposite Jack Nicholson in the famed detective noir flick Chinatown. Amongst the serious critical reviews for which the p
The Brothers Wilson return to the summer as the Year of Redux settles its sights upon everyone's favorite Coppola: Nicolas Cage. This episode takes in his early turn as Cher's love interest in the Oscar-winning 80s comedy Moonstruck, his wacky-haired heroism in the nonsense Bruckheimer plane-heist / crime movie Con Air, and his self-deprecating turn playing himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Along the way, find out which movie yields the most Bond comparisons, and which movie would gain the most tepid poster quote from Pandy were he a contemporary mainstream film critic.
Amy Adams is next on the HAA Year of Redux docket! The featured films covered by The Brothers Wilson are her career commencing, beauty pageant, black comedy Drop Dead Gorgeous; her first foray into a big budget comic book movie franchise, Man of Steel; and linguistic sci-fi puzzler Arrival. Along the way, there are some naughty well wishes from classic fans of the show, a challenge gauntlet thrown down by The Orgs, and a thanking for Sheryl Crow.
Hey, an Actor's Year of Redux continues with The Brothers Wilson profiling Halle Berry once again. The focus shifts from her early career supporting role in Eddie Murphy vehicle Boomerang to her ill-fated titular performance in 2004's Catwoman, then to her major contribution to the Wachowskis' ambitious filmic adaptation of Cloud Atlas. Along the way Ian fills Pandy in on the on-set fatality of the original Crow movie, the Wilson family trip to Edinburgh is analyzed, and a shout-out / mention goes to Donovan Grant's gran. And how do the brothers handle the inevitability of the podcast's new sp
The Year of Redux commences! The Brothers Wilson's victory lap after 100 episodes will consist of previously covered actors that we feel deserve an update or second go, and what better way to start than with Will Smith. Ian and Pandy discuss sci-fi comedy Men in Black, biopic Ali, and Netflix juggernaut Bright, as well as what has happened in the 10-ish years since last they explored his career. Plus: can Will Smith be considered a "safe pair of hands" with his movie choices? How have the events of the 2023 Oscars affected his career? How awesome is Bright!? All the questions answered, a new c
Celebration time! Hey, an Actor celebrates its 100th episode with a brief look at one of their most revered, loved, and perved-upon faces: Heather Graham! As well as pausing to appreciate her in all her glory, we also cover the recent holiday rom-com Best. Christmas. Ever! and gritty Jack the Ripper murder adventure From Hell. The usual end of year festivities bring Christian's Casting Challenge, The Tomlinsons, and a batch of outtakes. Plus, this episode is packed with extra treats to celebrate its centenary, including celebrity endorsements, high quality feedback galore, and a familiar old f
This episode, Ian and Pandy turn their ginger heads towards the versatile behemoth Matt Damon! Their three films covered are amnesiac spy thriller The Bourne Identify, space drama The Martian, and his breakout role in Good Will Hunting. Tune in to find out their thoughts, plus: how did Pandy overcome Damon's difficult-to-rhyme name in a new audio delight? Who brings up Keith Harris and Orville the Duck? And we tackle the ultimate Hollywood question: Matt Damon or Ben Affleck - who's the best?
The Brothers Wilson turn the HAA focus on their third Bruce Wayne and the less popular member of his double act with Matt Damon (the subject of our next episode); the Bat-man that is Ben Affleck. Listen in to hear discussion of his reviled action turn in the badly spelt Pearl Harbor, his lead role in the poorly aged Kevin Smith romcom drama Chasing Amy, and his altogether better-received efforts as the lead actor and director of 2012 historical thriller Argo. In the midst of the usual nonsense, Pandy drops a career bombshell, Ian reveals which Kevin Smith movie he will never watch, and the hos
Gwyneth Paltrow is the highlighted actor for this episode of Hey, an Actor, with the brothers focusing on period Oscar-bait rom-com Shakespeare in Love, Farrelly Brothers comedy Shallow Hal, and side-splitting sin-based serial killing film Seven. Forever breaking boundaries, this podcast features one of the hosts recovering from surgery! Tune in to find out what links a notoriously predatory producer and a 90s British sitcom, what would make Mr. Kidd proud, and why Pandy, at some point, shouts "A pearl necklace!" Also, don't forget to start think about your favorite moments from HAA from this
Viola Davis is our featured actor this episode. The Queen of Righteous Indignation reigns supreme across the covered films in the form of two August Wilson (no relation) play adaptations: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and Fences, and the big budget anti-racism tale The Help. The Brothers Wilson discuss her undeniably powerful presence in her work, as well as accidentally spoiling lots of plot details that have driven Pandy to despair in the edit. Plus: What did The Brothers make of Chadwick Boseman's swansong performance? Why is Pandy the victor? And, why is Ian part of the problem?
Hey, an Actor! has taken a long run up to feature one of cinema's most prominent names of yesteryear in Orson Welles. Straight out of the gate is the legendary Citizen Kane, followed by European hit The Third Man, and capped off by Tex-Mex crime thriller Touch of Evil. Recorded whilst Ian is fully sober and Pandy looks to publicly available AI for the purposes of film-specific raps, The Brothers Wilson also discuss the recurrence of Joseph Cotton, offer up competing song choices to close the episode, and critique Welles' introduction to British television in 1955. And it's all quite silly!
The Brothers Wilson return to bring you the first proper episode of Hey, An Actor! for 2023, spotlighting Eddie Murphy. Trying to capture the eclectic talents of their subject in the space of three films is a tricky ask, but Ian and Pandy persevere with Murphy's 80s comedy hit Coming to America, his 90s hidden gem collaboration with Steve Martin Bowfinger, and his Oscar-nominated turn in Motown-inspired musical adaptation Dreamgirls. Along the way, Ian gets into his first-hand experience of radio payolas, Pandy is inspired to recite a song from one of the films should Ian ever marry, and we ta
The Brothers Wilson proudly bring you Hey, An Actor's end of year episode for 2022, with the featured subject being comedy legend Mel Brooks! Taking in both The Producers and Blazing Saddles, Ian and Pandy discuss America's divergent Axis Powers focus, Carry On films, and The One Show. And of course, this episode brings about the regular favorites of Christian's Casting Challenge, The Archivist's curation of outtakes, and The Tomlinson Awards!
Due to the results of the 2021 Tomlinson Awards, the Most Anticipated Actor for 2022, Natalie Portman, receives the full HAA treatment from The Brothers Wilson. The three films on the docket: sweary, sex-play adaptation Closer; whacky underage assassin Leon: The Professional; and scary, avian-based dance horror Black Swan. Which film leaves both hosts lukewarm, and which inspired many a 90s action film? Also: discover which film from Portman's back catalogue is the personification of a comedy Rock song, marvel at how The Brothers tip-toe around big topics, including questionable French artistr
After a bit of a hiatus, The Brothers Wilson return to bring you the Drew Barrymore instalment of Hey, an Actor! Covering her child actor years by dint of Firestarter, her mainstream commercial years via Charlie's Angels, and her successful romcom partnership with Adam Sandler in 50 First Dates. Ian and Pandy also take in a disproportionate amount of cultural appropriation, ranging from acting greats like George C Scott all the way down to Rob Schneider. Also, stay tuned to find out Ian's bugbears with Stephen King, what compels Pandy to dash out naked in the rain, and why, given all the legit
