Mandy Kaplan is an actress, voice-over artist, singer, writer, and ninja living in LA. Her voice can be heard in hundreds of commercials/video games/audiobooks, and her face can be seen starring in the feature film 30 Nights of Sex available on Tubi, which she co-wrote and produced. Her hilarious cabaret Miscast: Right Singer, Wrong Song has been running in LA for over twelve years and has raised thousands of dollars for Project Angel Food. And now… she is host of Make Me A Nerd, where she enlists her fabulous friends to introduce her to their fandoms, and co-host on Once and Future Parent where she chronicles the journey of parenting a high schooler toward launch. She was co-host of the podcast The Mandcave with her comedy partner Mandy Fabian. She can also be heard providing insights on movies and pop culture across The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts.
🌐 IMDb • Mandy Kaplan
🍿 Watch 30 Nights of Sex on Tubi
💃 See Miscast: Right Singer, Wrong Song
😇 Learn More about Project Angel Food
🎙️ Subscribe to Make Me A Nerd
🎙️ Subscribe to The Mandcave
🎙️ Subscribe to Once and Future Parent
In this episode, we explore the uncomfortable truth that parenting will frustrate you, and what it means to actually let go instead of just suppressing your feelings.
Is The Big Lebowski a brilliant anti-plot masterpiece or just two hours of vibes, bowling, and unchecked aggression? Mandy Kaplan and David Isser go toe-to-toe over cult devotion, cinematic discomfort, and why sometimes the rug really does tie the room together—even if you still hate the room.
Halloween as a parent means navigating everything from costume choices to candy negotiations, while also managing your own memories of trick-or-treating past. But when does healthy caution cross into helicopter parenting? And how do modern safety concerns compare to the anxieties our parents faced?
Jonas Vail has loved Xanadu since he was five—and Mandy Kaplan is determined to understand why.
Mandy and Matthew complete their deep dive into Ron Howard’s Parenthood, focusing on the film’s most quietly devastating subplot: Frank Buckman’s relationship with his troubled youngest son, Larry. This conversation explores how the movie tackles parental favoritism, the limits of unconditional support, and the painful moment when a parent realizes they can’t fix their adult child—but might get another chance with an unexpected grandchild.
What happens to your sense of self when you become a parent? In this raw and reflective conversation, Mandy and Matthew share their experiences of identity transformation, relationship dynamics, and the profound disorientation that comes with a new baby, all through the prism of the classic 80’s movie- Parenthood.
Mandy finally watches Veronica Mars and discovers a teen drama that looks cute, sounds funny, and then quietly wrecks you. With Sloan Just as her guide, she unpacks why this cult favorite still hits—and why it never played by the rules.
The holidays bring joy, chaos, and complicated family dynamics. This episode tackles the real challenges parents face during the season: balancing traditions with your own family’s needs, managing expectations from extended family, and deciding which holiday customs matter most to you.
Mandy enters the world of AEW wrestling with Irish podcaster Kevin Ryan as her guide, and immediately learns she’s unprepared for the amount of lore, hair, blood, and burning houses involved. It’s the perfect crossover of soap opera, stunt show, and fever dream — and somehow, Mandy survives.
What does it mean to truly let go as a parent?