HypeFriend
HypeFriend
Podcast Description
Childhood friends Ashley Eckstein (voice of “Ahsoka Tano” in Star Wars) and Michael James Scott (“The Genie” from Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway) team up for a weekly podcast with the singular mission of starting a friendship revolution, one “HypeFriend” (and one episode!) at a time.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on themes of friendship, kindness, and connection, with episodes exploring topics such as maintaining friendships through acts of kindness as discussed by Andrew Levitt (Nina West) and building lasting connections with guests like Brett Iwan (voice of Mickey Mouse), along with reflections on the mental health impacts of the pandemic in their first episode.
Childhood friends Ashley Eckstein (voice of “Ahsoka Tano” in Star Wars) and Michael James Scott (“The Genie” from Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway) team up for a weekly podcast with the singular mission of starting a friendship revolution, one “HypeFriend” (and one episode!) at a time.
It’s giving season finale energy meets Friendsgiving vibes as beloved neighbors Andrew Levitt (aka Nina West), Lesli Margherita, and Josh Dela Cruz crash the Neighborhood Block Party—complete with our first-ever HypeFriend BINGO, a surprise singing telegram from Josh Strickland, and drop-ins from James Monroe Iglehart and Ashley Brown. But being a HypeFriend isn’t about winning BINGO (or is it?). No, it’s about gratitude! And that theme shines through in these conversations as Ashley and Michael celebrate everything from the day-one leap to the full-season finish line, hyping up their friends and family, and look ahead to Season 2!
(00:00:18) “TGIF” season finale vibes + manifesting the new HypeFriend neon sign and merch drops
(00:03:38) Welcome! “Taking the leap!” – From Comic-Con to HypeFriend
(00:06:11) Ashley’s final bake of season 1 packs a vegan (bunch-a-) crunch!
(00:09:00) Husband Hypes – Michael and Ashley celebrate their partners and the power of “nightly notes”
(00:11:12) The block party begins! Andrew Levitt, Lesli Margherita and Josh Dela Cruz crash the podcast!
(00:15:10) HypeFriend BINGO!
(00:18:28) A surprise singing telegram from Josh Strickland
(00:26:05) “Snope” vs. “Snoke” (STAR WARS villain vs real-world season villain)
(00:28:34) James Monroe Inglehart on FOMO, family, and finding creative balance
(00:33:51) “Christmas music already?!” Andrew Levitt’s seasonal gripe
(00:36:11) Michael × Lesli: the case for year-round holiday trees
(00:38:30) Daylight savings gripe: Lesli pulls no punches when it comes to time
(00:39:26) Ashley Brown’s Hypes & Gripes: stormy-day shelter + college roomie nostalgia
(00:41:32) Nutella: The stuff the heals
(00:43:52) NYC Walking Etiquette: texters, walkers, and Ashley Eckstein
(00:47:06) “Sexy CPAP machine” (hi Josh Dela Cruz!)
(00:52:45) Michael’s (temporary) win!
(00:54:20) Ashley’s brush with the law
(00:56:49) Good Gossip – Questlove’s game nights + a quick celebrity lesson for Ashley
(01:00:24) Set visit: a peek at the new Muppet movie
(01:07:42) One Last Thing! – gratitude for our guests, listeners, crew, and the neighborhood
Join us in our friendship revolution—one HypeFriend (and one season) at a time!
Follow Andrew Levitt here!
Follow Lesli Margherita here!
Follow Josh Dela Cruz here!
Follow Josh Strickland here!
Follow James Monroe Iglehart here!
Follow Ashley Brown here!
Follow HypeFriend here!
Michael J Scott here!
Ashley Eckstein here!
Sign up for HypeFriend news and updates here!
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
For a complete disclaimer, please see our Full Disclaimer on the archive page. The Podcast Collaborative bears no responsibility for the podcast’s themes, language, or overall content. Listener discretion is advised. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for more details.