How does acting as a craft inform and support producing, and vice versa? Hear from a group of seasoned actors and producers about how their experiences in the creative and business sides of the industry shape each other. Featuring actors and producers Adam Arkin, Simone Missick, Kathleen Robertson and Matt Walsh, and writer and producer Anthony Q. Farrell. Moderated by Perri Nemiroff, senior producer at Collider. 

Member participation is encouraged!

PANELIST BIOS:

Kathleen Roberston: An award-winning actor. In demand, accomplished writer. Producer. And now showrunner, Kathleen Robertson is the definition of a multi-hyphenate. 

As an actor, she was just added to the cast of the highly anticipated sixth and final season of the critically acclaimed Amazon series THE EXPANSE. Robertson also recently wrapped production on TRIAGE for ABC/DISNEY and director JON CHU (CRAZY RICH ASIANS). In addition, she appears in the Lionsgate series SWIMMING WITH SHARKS opposite Diane Kruger, Kiernan Shipka and Donald Sutherland. In addition to acting in the dark thriller, Robertson also created, produced and was showrunner on the project.

Robertson also starred on the Netflix drama NORTHERN RESCUE, the critically acclaimed TNT crime drama MURDER IN THE FIRST opposite Taye Diggs for three seasons and had a pivotal, recurring role opposite Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore on A&E’s Emmy-nominated BATES MOTEL. She also garnered much attention for her starring role on the Gus Van Sant, Golden Globe-winning political drama BOSS as the brilliant, broken and duplicitous Kitty O’Neill, Mayor Tom Kane’s (Kelsey Grammer) press aide. 

On the writing and producing front, Robertson and her production company DEBUT CONTENT continue to build an impressive slate of both television and feature film projects. 

On the television side, in a highly competitive situation, Robertson signed an overall deal with Universal Cable Productions (UCP) to both create and produce original content. She currently has projects with Netflix, Barry Jenkins (MOONLIGHT), Jason Bateman’s AGGREGATE FILMS, Imagine Television and acclaimed Academy Award nominated documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger (CECIL HOTEL/THE TED BUNDY TAPES.) 

On the feature side, she is currently writing FLIGHT for Paramount Pictures and Academy Award winner Akiva Goldsman.

 She recently completed adapting the acclaimed novel THE POSSIBILITIES for Fox Searchlight and Academy Award nominated filmmaker JASON REITMAN who is attached to direct. Reitman has also attached himself to direct the tv pilot YOUR TIME IS UP that Robertson wrote and is attached to star in. In addition, she adapted novel LITTLE BEE for Amazon and Academy Award winning actress Julia Roberts. Robertson was also recently brought on to adapt the comic book series LADY KILLER for Dark Horse and Michelle MacLaren (Westworld/Game of Thrones) directing. 

A native of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Robertson currently resides in Los Angeles. 

Matt Walsh is a two-time Emmy-nominated actor from HBO’s award-winning comedy series VEEP. He recently wrapped production on the Fox Searchlight film FLAMIN' HOT about the Mexican American janitor who came up with the idea for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. He can currently be seen in the upcoming film UNPLUGGING, a comedy about a married couple who tries to put down their digital devices for one weekend to help revive their marriage. Walsh produced, co-wrote and stars in the movie opposite Eva Longoria. Walsh also just finished filming NOT AN ARTIST, where he plays a recently retired family physician, who out of boredom, decides to bring himself and his RV to the Artist In Residence program where his daughter is trying to become a writer. Walsh also wrote, produced and co-stars in the movie. Walsh can also be seen in the latest FATHER OF THE BRIDE film scheduled to be released in 2022.

He is also one of the UCB 4, the founding members of the famed national improv-sketch comedy theatre Upright Citizens Brigade. UCB is based in Los Angeles and is the largest unaccredited university in the nation teaching improv performance and sketch writing technique.

In addition to his film and TV work, Walsh is a charitable founder of Gender Nation with his wife Morgan. The charity puts LGBTQ affirming books in elementary schools around the country. He also organizes an annual golf charity tournament called the Turkey Bird Classic, which benefits Defy Ventures, an organization that helps formerly incarcerated men and women “transform their hustle,” teaching them life skills,  providing education and mentorship that gives them a second chance.

Walsh currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife Morgan Walsh and their three children.

Anthony Q. Farrell has served as showrunner for THE PARKER ANDERSONS, AMELIA PARKER, and the BAFTA-winning CBBC series SECRET LIFE OF BOYS, which he also created. Currently Anthony is the Showrunner and Executive Producer of the sci-fi primetime comedy OVERLORD & THE UNDERWOODS. In the past, he has written for NBC’s THE OFFICE, Canada’s international hit LITTLE MOSQUE ON THE PRAIRIE, and Nickelodeon’s THE THUNDERMANS. He is in active development on several other shows that he hopes to share in the near future. He lives in Toronto with his amazing family.

Simone Missick currently stars as Judge Lola Carmichael in Warner Bros Television Studios’ hit series ALL RISE which will return for a third season on OWN in June 2022. Missick’s performance has earned her two NAACP nominations in the category of Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series; she also serves as an Executive Producer on the series which was named the most popular new network series of 2019. Missick is also well known for her history making role as the crime fighting NYPD Detective Misty Knight, Marvel’s first Black female superhero. Prominently featured in Netflix’s LUKE CAGE, she also appears as this character in the series THE DEFENDERS and IRON FIST. Missick also starred in the second season of Netflix’s sci fi anthology series ALTERED CARBON, alongside Anthony Mackie. On the film side, Missick can be seen in the independent film JINN directed by Nijla Muminwhich. The film premiered at SXSW in 2018 and tells the deeply intimate and timely story of a woman that converts to Islam and how this affects her family dynamic. Outside of film and television, Missick maintains a strong connection to the theater, winning a World Theater Award and an NAACP Theater Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in recent performances. Missick is a graduate of Howard University, plays violin and currently resides in Los Angeles, CA.