Acting, Dreamwork, and the Study of Religion - A Talk with Amy Brenneman
From Pop Apocalypse by Matthew J. Dillon, Center for the Study of World Religions
February 22, 2026 · 1h 25m · Episode 20
About this episode
Amy Brenneman discusses the intersection of acting, dreamwork, and the study of religion in her career.
For episode 20 of Pop Apocalypse, we welcome actress, writer, producer, and activist, Amy Brenneman. After earning her B.A. in Comparative Religions at Harvard, Amy went on to a successful acting career, with star turns in the film Heat, as well as the shows like The Leftovers, The Old Man, and Judging Amy (which she also wrote and produced). In this wide-ranging conversation, Amy and I explore how the craft of acting, study of religion, and practice of Jungian dreamwork have enriched one another throughout her career. We discuss the similarities between ritual and acting, and how a background in comparative religion helped Amy write, build, and inhabit characters. Amy also describes how decades of practicing active imagination and Jungian dreamwork helped her bring a mythic and numinous dimension to roles like Laurie Garvey in The Leftovers. To close, we discuss Amy’s current experience as a Master’s student at Harvard Divinity School and her research into the politics and possibilities of the Trickster.
People in this episode
Host: Matthew J. Dillon
Guest: Amy Brenneman
Topics covered
- acting
- dreamwork
- comparative religion
- Jungian psychology
- ritual
- character development
Keywords
- acting
- dreamwork
- comparative religion
- Jungian
- ritual
- character development
- Harvard
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Harvard Divinity School
Books & works: Heat, The Leftovers, The Old Man, Judging Amy
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