Shows / Ego Was Here
Ego Was Here
Ego Was Here is a raw podcast about identity, ego, and the messy beauty of being human.
Host Anna Iris has unfiltered conversations with actors, authors, filmmakers, artists, thinkers, and people with remarkable life stories.
These conversations go beneath the surface, revealing not just what people have lived through, but how those experiences have shaped who they are. Because sometimes, hearing someone else's story helps us make sense of our own.
Real people. Real stories. No performance.
Episodes
Ego Was HereHe Became 'Father God' in the Love Has Won Cult | Andrew-Ryan Profaci #63
How does someone searching for meaning and belonging end up becoming Father God in the Love Has Won cult? In this episode of Ego Was Here, author Andrew-Ryan…
Ego Was HereWhat She Saw During Her Near-Death Experience Changed Her Life | Susie Pearl #62 – Part 2
Susie Pearl spent years working with some of the biggest names in music, including Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Prince. But after being diagnosed with a brain…
Ego Was HereCelebrity Publicist on Michael Jackson, Madonna & Her Near-Death Experience | Susie Pearl #61 – Part 1
Susie Pearl is an author, speaker, and former celebrity publicist who spent years working with some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Michael…
Ego Was HereWrongfully Convicted at 18: John Huffington's 32-Year Fight for Freedom #60
At just 18 years old, John Huffington was convicted of two murders and sentenced to death. He insisted he was innocent, but spent the next 32 years in prison…
Ego Was HereFrom an Unconventional Childhood to Everest: The Extraordinary Life of Dianette Wells #59
What does a lifetime of climbing mountains teach you about resilience, courage and navigating the unexpected turns of life? Dianette Wells is an elite…
Ego Was HereJason London on Dazed and Confused, Fame and Life Beyond Acting #58
What does more than three decades as an actor teach you about fame, creativity, and what really matters? Jason London is an actor, musician and artist best…
Ego Was HereWhy His Near-Death Experience Changed the Way He Saw Life | David Ditchfield #57
What happens when one moment completely changes what you believe about life and who you are? David Ditchfield is an artist, composer and author whose life took…
Ego Was HereWhy Returning Home Was the Hardest Part of His 568-Day Journey | Sam Clear #56 - Part 2
He walked 15,636 kilometers (around 9,700 miles) across 21 countries in 568 days, hoping to inspire greater unity along the way. But when he finally returned…
Ego Was HereWhy He Sold Everything to Walk 15,636 KM Around the World | Sam Clear #55 - Part 1
What does it take to walk 15,636 kilometers around the world in the hope of bringing people together? Sam Clear is an Australian adventurer, author and speaker…
Ego Was HereA Human Trafficking Survivor Tells Her Story | Kate Ouimette-Wedell #54
She arrived in Los Angeles chasing a dream and, within 24 hours, found herself trapped in a life she never imagined. Kate Ouimette-Wedell is a survivor…
Ego Was HereSurviving Abuse Within Your Own Family | Darlene Lekowski #53
What happens when you finally speak about what you’ve kept hidden for years? Darlene Lekowski is the author of Shattering Silence: A Story of Survival…
Ego Was HereWhat It Really Takes to Make It in Hollywood | Steven Martini #52
What happens when the career you dreamed about as a child turns out to be far more complicated than you imagined? In this episode of Ego Was Here, actor…
Ego Was HereA Male Survivor's Story Inside the Modeling Industry | Chris Ingram #51 - Part 2
What happens when someone finally speaks about the side of the fashion industry most people never see? Chris Ingram is a former international model, business…
Ego Was HereThe Untold Reality of Male Survivors | Chris Ingram #50 - Part 1
What does the fashion industry look like through the eyes of a male model? Chris Ingram is a former international model, business strategist and Brazilian…
Ego Was HereHow Small Changes Can Reshape Your Life | Johnny Crowder #49
Why do so many of us feel like we are not enough? In this episode of Ego Was Here, Johnny Crowder, musician, public speaker, and founder of Cope Notes…
Ego Was HereWhy We Become Who Others Expect Us to Be | Mandy Concepcion #48
What happens when the identity you have spent your life protecting no longer fits the person you are becoming? In this episode of *Ego Was Here*, Mandy…
Ego Was HereHow She Became One of the Greatest Paralympic Swimmers | Jessica Long #47
What happens when you spend your entire life believing you have to earn love? In this episode of Ego Was Here, Jessica Long, one of the most decorated…
Ego Was HereWhat Happens When Pain Becomes Your Identity | Milton Schorr #46
What happens when the pain you tried to escape becomes the reason you finally change? In this episode of Ego Was Here, actor, author, and storyteller Milton…
Ego Was HereThe Hidden Power of Being a Misfit | Lidia Yuknavitch #45
What if the stories you've believed about yourself your entire life are no longer true? In this episode of Ego Was Here, bestselling author and memoirist Lidia…
Ego Was HereWhy William McNamara Turned His Life Into A TV Show #44 - Part 2
Actor William McNamara built a successful Hollywood acting career, working alongside major actors and becoming part of an industry many people dream of…
Ego Was HereThe Rise, Fall and Reinvention of William McNamara #43 - Part 1
William McNamara lived the Hollywood life: major films, famous co-stars, and the kind of career most actors dream about. In this episode of Ego Was Here…
Ego Was HereWhat’s Really Keeping You From Achieving Your Dreams? | Joan Baker #42
What if rejection is not the end of the dream, but the test that proves you want it? In this episode of *Ego Was Here*, voice artist, performer, educator, and…
Ego Was HereThe Side of Acting People Never See | Charlotte Stoiber #41
What happens after your first acting role is in an Oscar-nominated film? In this episode of Ego Was Here, actress Charlotte Stoiber opens up about acting…
Ego Was HereThe Pop Star Life Everyone Dreams Of and the Reality Nobody Sees | Anthony Kavana #40
What happens when a 90s pop star looks back at the story the spotlight never showed? In this episode of Ego Was Here, British pop star and author Anthony…
Ego Was HereUntold Stories From the Cult Classic Film Blood In Blood Out | Victor Rivas Rivers #39
Why does Blood In Blood Out still mean so much to audiences more than 30 years later? In this episode of Ego Was Here, actor Victor Rivas Rivers returns for a…
Ego Was HereWhy the "Oscars" of Voice Acting Almost Never Happened | Rudy Gaskins #38
Why are the most recognizable voices in the world almost invisible? In this episode of Ego Was Here, Emmy-winning television producer and director Rudy Gaskins…
Ego Was HereNot Everyone Wants You to Speak Up | Tara Beier #37
What happens when you try to protect your mother and she turns against you? In this episode of Ego Was Here, singer-songwriter Tara Beier shares the moments…
Ego Was HereThe Reality of Making Movies No One Prepares You For | Brandon Slagle #36
What does working in film actually look like, and how far is it from the dream people imagine? In this episode of Ego Was Here, filmmaker Brandon Slagle shares…
Ego Was HereThe Side of His Life No One Knew | Victor Rivas Rivers #35
What happens when a child grows up in a home where survival becomes part of everyday life? Actor Victor Rivas Rivers, known for his iconic role as Magic Mike…
Ego Was HereWhy She Refused to Stay Silent About Hollywood | Paz de la Huerta – Part 3 #34
Actress, model, and painter Paz de la Huerta continues her conversation about her time in Hollywood, sharing why she has chosen to keep speaking about the…
Ego Was HereHer Body Was Shutting Down and No One Knew Why | Ngozi Onwuchekwa #33
Ngozi Onwuchekwa joins Ego Was Here to share the story of a health crisis that changed the direction of her life. What began as the feeling that something was…
Ego Was HereThe Rise of Britain’s “It Girl” and What the Headlines Didn’t Tell You | Sophie Anderton #32
British supermodel Sophie Anderton rose to fame in the 1990s almost overnight, becoming one of the most recognizable faces of the era. In this episode of Ego…
Ego Was HereThe Whistleblower Who Shattered Hollywood’s Silence | Paz de la Huerta - Part 2 #31
Actress, model, and painter Paz de la Huerta speaks about Epstein, Weinstein, and the celebrities she says shaped what happened to her behind closed doors in…
Ego Was HerePaz de la Huerta Speaks on Epstein, Weinstein, and Hollywood’s Power Circles - Part 1 #30
Actress, model, and painter Paz de la Huerta speaks about Epstein, Weinstein, and why she decided to come forward publicly. She describes abuse she says she…
Ego Was HereMy Father Threatened My Life After I Escaped an Arranged Marriage | Dima Ghawi #29
What do you do when choosing your own life puts you in danger? Born in Jordan, Dima Ghawi grew up in a culture where women were discouraged from pursuing…
Ego Was HereThe Hidden Truths About Midlife Every Woman Must Know | Heike Yates #28
What if midlife is not a crisis or something to fix, but a powerful point of change? This episode explores what women often face in midlife: shifting roles…
Ego Was HereInside the Mind of a Mayor Who Fights For Change | Janice Kovach #27
What does leadership feel like when responsibility comes first and there are no perfect answers? In this episode of Ego Was Here, Janice Kovach, Mayor of…
Ego Was HereWhy Success Didn’t Stop Her From Feeling Behind | Laura Behnke #26
What happens when your life doesn’t unfold in the order you expected? In this episode of Ego Was Here, Laura Behnke shares her experience of building a…
Ego Was HereHow Limiting Beliefs Quietly Shape Your Life - Karen Leigh #25
What if the reason some parts of your life feel hard to change has nothing to do with motivation or effort, but with beliefs that were formed long before you…
Ego Was HereHow to Stop Overthinking and Get Your Life Back | Mary Starks #24
What if the reason you feel stuck in your head, exhausted, and disconnected from your own life isn’t because something is wrong with you, but because…
Ego Was HereThe Prodigy Dilemma: Breaking Free from the Pressure to Have It All Figured Out | Elinor Keyes #23
What actually happens when you grow up faster than everyone else? In this episode, filmmaker, actor, and producer Elinor Keyes shares what it was really like…
Ego Was HereThe Women Whose Stories Change How You See Yourself Kerry Chaput #22
What if the women erased from history were the very ones who could help you finally stop shrinking yourself? In this episode, award-winning historical fiction…
Ego Was HereDjango Unchained Actress Laura Cayouette on What It Takes to Last in Hollywood #21
From teaching college English and pursuing a PhD to appearing in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained, actress Laura Cayouette took an unlikely path to…
Ego Was HereWhat If Reality Is Nothing Like We Were Told? - Sean Stone #20
Actor, filmmaker and spiritual thinker Sean Stone joins Ego Was Here to explore consciousness, the nature of reality, and how our experiences shape what we…
Ego Was HereRethinking Autism & Humanity: John Scott Wells on Fatherhood, Empathy & Identity #19
Actor John Scott Wells joins the show for a thoughtful conversation about fatherhood, empathy, and learning to understand the world through a different lens…
Ego Was HereWhen Plan B Isn’t an Option Danny Boushebel on Acting, Success & Making It in Hollywood #18
When Plan B is not an option, what keeps you going? Actor Danny Boushebel, known for his work in Stranger Things, Homeland, The Blacklist, and Elementary…
Ego Was HereComedy Born on the Battlefield: Sean Porter on Stand-Up, Healing & Mental Health #17
When life hits hardest, some people fight back with laughter. Comedian Sean Porter shares how growing up in the shadow of war shaped his voice, his presence…
Ego Was HereThe Freedom of Being Seen: Stacy Thunes on Acting, Reinvention & Authenticity #16
Actress and storyteller Stacy Thunes explores what it really means to be seen, in life, art, and the world of Hollywood. In this inspiring episode of Ego Was…
Ego Was HereBringing Stories to Life: Philip Levens on Storytelling & the Entertainment Industry #15
Every story that reaches the screen begins long before the cameras roll. Writer and producer Philip Levens (Smallville; creator and showrunner of Ascension)…
Ego Was HereThe Secret of Authentic Acting: Carolyn Stotesbery on Redefining Performance #14
Behind every unforgettable performance lies more than talent, it’s shaped by story and the science of human connection. Actor, acting coach, writer, and…
Ego Was HereThe Power of Imperfection: Dan Cordle on Self-Acceptance & Connection #13
In a world obsessed with perfection, actor and model Dan Cordle reveals why our imperfections might be the very thing that makes us unforgettable. In this raw…
Ego Was HereFrom Abuse And 45 Years Of Stalking To A Life In Hollywood | Heaven Stellar #12
At 27, Heaven Stellar (born Kate Stellar, formerly known as Kate Romero) made her screen debut in Top Gun alongside Tom Cruise. But her life story goes far…
Ego Was HereActing and Identity Yasmine Alice’s Story of Authenticity #11
What does it take to be authentic in an industry built on roles and appearances? In this episode of Ego Was Here, actor and filmmaker Yasmine Alice shares her…
Ego Was HereReprogram Your Mind, Reclaim Your Life | Havilah Malone’s Mindset Shift #10
What if one thought changed how you decide, create and relate? Havilah Malone joins Ego Was Here to trace the pivot that redirected her life. She explains how…
Ego Was HereFinding Identity in Hollywood | Greg Kriek’s Journey of Authenticity #9
Actor Greg Kriek joins Ego Was Here to share a side of Hollywood rarely seen — one rooted in authenticity, gratitude, and identity. From his Camino de Santiago…
Ego Was HereSurviving the Unthinkable | Carlos Lujan’s Story of Resilience #8
What if you lost everything, your health, your safety, even your sense of self — and still had to fight for your life? That is exactly what happened to Carlos…
Ego Was HereComedy, Activism & Identity | Belinda Carroll on Healing Through Laughter #7
Stand-up comedian and activist Belinda Carroll reveals how she turned struggle into comedy and trauma into laughter. From stage fright to activism, she shows…
Ego Was HereInside 90s Pop | Lolly (Anna Kumble) on Fame & Finding Balance #6
In the late 90s, Lolly lit up the charts with unforgettable hits like “Viva La Radio,” “Big Boys Don’t Cry,” and “Mickey.” Bursting with color, energy, and…
Ego Was HereRejection to Resilience: Aisling Goodwin on Acting & Mental Health #5
When 90% of your career is rejection, how do you keep going? Actress, accent coach, and mental health advocate Aisling Goodwin shares the raw truths of show…
Ego Was HereCannes Debut Award Winner Natalie Bark's Breakthrough Story #4
Award-winning actress Natalie Bark joins Ego Was Here to share her unexpected journey from a corporate career to starring roles in The Crown, Loki, and…