The Supporting Cast

Jul 02 2024 66 ep. 49 mins 4

The Supporting Cast Podcast artwork

A production of Harvard-Westlake School. The Supporting Cast features long-form interviews with individuals sharing compelling life stories, passions, and interests, but with an acute focus on one’s teachers, coaches, and mentors—transcending simple biography to highlight one’s “supporting cast” and how their influence mattered. Hosted by Eli Goldsmith.

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Nick Melvoin ’04 on Public Education in Los Angeles – TSC066

Jul 02 2024 55 mins

In 2017, a 31-year-old Nick Melvoin '04 was elected as one of seven members of the largest self-governing school district in the world, the LAUSD Board of Education. In this episode, Nick tells his story, from growing up in LA and attending Harvard-Westlake and Harvard College, before teaching in a Watts public school as part of Teach For America. The inequities that Nick observed

Ynon Kreiz on Leading Mattel – TSC065

Jun 13 2024 36 mins

Ynon Kreiz is Chairman and CEO of Mattel, a global toy and family entertainment company and owner of among the most iconic brand portfolios in the world. In this episode, Ynon tells his story—from growing up and attending college in Israel, before relocating to Los Angeles to study entertainment at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. But after 25 years of running several larg

Robert Hur ’91 on Investigating the President – TSC064

Jun 04 2024 43 mins

On January 12, 2023, Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Robert Hur ’91 to oversee the Justice Department’s investigation into President Biden's alleged mishandling of classified documents during his time as vice president—thrusting Rob into the national political spotlight. In this episode, Rob tells his story. The child of Korean immigrants, Rob’s family settled in

Tiffany Alexander Aldridge ’87, When Giving Comes Full Circle – TSC063

May 21 2024 51 mins

Tiffany Alexander Aldridge ’87 is Director of Annual Giving at Harvard-Westlake, overseeing a program that leads all American day schools in overall dollars (raising more than $10M in 2022-2023). However, what draws Tiffany to the role is not the program’s size, but its impact—which Tiffany and her family know personally. Tiffany grew up in South LA as the only child of a sin

Kara Nortman ’93 on Angel City and Investing in Women’s Sports – TSC062

May 06 2024 45 mins

Kara Nortman ’93 is co-founder of Los Angeles’s professional women’s soccer team Angel City. In this episode, Kara recounts her evolution from leading LA’s largest venture capital firm, Upfront Ventures, to co-founding Angel City alongside partners Natalie Portman and Julie Uhrman in 2020. Since then, Angel City has not only garnered significant fan followings and profitabi

Rich Eisen on the NFL Draft and a Life in Sports Broadcasting – TSC061

Apr 18 2024 62 mins

On April 25, the NFL Network's Rich Eisen will host his 21st NFL Draft, anchoring what will amount to a 20-hour broadcast held over multiple days—framing compelling narratives and moderating impassioned debates about the NFL’s next generation of stars. In this episode, Rich tells his story--from growing up in Staten Island as the child of two educators, to the University of Mic

Elizabeth Banks on a Career in Entertainment – TSC060

Apr 01 2024 54 mins

Actor, producer, and director Elizabeth Banks grew up in Pittsfield, MA, as the eldest of four siblings—falling into acting (quite literally) after suffering a softball injury, and then leaning into theater due to the encouragement of high school teachers. Then came the University of Pennsylvania, where she met her husband and now producing partner, followed by the American Conse

Dr. Mark Krieger on Adolescent Mental Health – TSC059

Mar 21 2024 42 mins

In the season 5 opener, The Supporting Cast welcomes its first return guest, Dr. Mark Krieger, Surgeon-in-Chief at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). In March 2022, Dr. Krieger joined to discuss Kids and Covid-19 (Ep. 37). Two years later, he joins to address a different kind of global health crisis relating to adolescent mental health. In this episode, Dr. Krieger discusses

Eric Garcetti ’88, US Ambassador to India and Former LA Mayor – TSC058

Jul 07 2023 60 mins

In the season 4 finale, The Supporting Cast welcomes the 42nd Mayor of Los Angeles (2013-2022) and current United States Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti '88. In this episode, Ambassador Garcetti joins from Delhi, India, to tell his story—from growing up in Encino, to finding a passion for the performing arts at Harvard School, before studying international affairs at Columbia

Jim Pattison on Commuting from Goleta for 26 Years – TSC057

Jun 21 2023 53 mins

For the last 26 years, Senior Advancement Officer Jim Pattison has spent nearly every weekday waking up at 3:30 a.m. at his home in Goleta nad driving nearly 200 miles roundtrip to his office at the Harvard-Westlake Middle School. In this episode, Jim tells us why. It began with growing up with parents who encouraged Jim to “figure things out” through hard work and perseverance