Renae Geerlings has truly done it all. Acting, producing, writing, both for print and the screen, and now, she’s adding podcasting to her extensive resume with MANE AF. She co-hosts this podcast with her husband and fellow actor Tyler Mane, as they delve into topics ranging from the fast-paced world of Hollywood to parenting adult children. She advocates passionately for animal rights as well as human trafficking awareness, which is a present theme behind her and Mane’s graphic novel, THE LAST SPARTAN.

Where are you from?
I grew up in the Holland area of Western Michigan. We are known for Tulip Time and wooden shoes. And if you missed your turn, you were probably in a cornfield. (laughs)

How has your hometown influenced you?
The biggest compliment you could get in my hometown was that you were a “hard worker.” I try to be a little more balanced these days, but when I got to California after college, first, I worked two jobs, and then 60-hour work weeks for years. Also, I think the closeness of a small-town community is something I always look for.

What inspired you to pursue acting?
Two things. When I was very young and living far out of town, TV shows were my only escape. I wanted to be a part of that world. Secondly, the local college, Hope College, had a Summer Repertory Theatre that we would go to, and I would stare breathlessly at the people on stage. At some point I realized I didn’t just want to watch the magic. I wanted to create it!

Beyond acting, you have experimented with writing and producing. How would you describe your process as a writer/producer?
They are so opposite for me. Writing is locking myself inside a room and immersing myself in a world for the duration of whatever draft I’m working on. Some people can write in dribs and drabs, but I find that I need to focus or I lose the plot, quite literally.

So writing is a solitary exercise, while producing is team-building and creative problem-solving all day long, which also suits my brain. I like finding talented people, putting the right pieces together and then seeing what we come up with. I’ve taken the Myers-Briggs personality test, and I always land dead center between extrovert and introvert, so this actually makes perfect sense that I enjoy both worlds, solitary and team chaos.

How does it differ from your process as a preparing actor?
They use completely different parts of my brain. Writing is taking a daydream and then shaping it into a structure. It’s like looking down at an empty field and coming up with a map for a designed garden. Dream it up, and it goes into the plan. Then, producing is like going down to the field and overseeing a team of people who are going to create the thing. Certain things are out of the budget or aren’t going to work in this space. You realize that the design wasn’t being realistic about how things were going to exist next to each other.

And you handle all the personalities of the crew. You’re “in it,” but keeping your brain “over it” at the same time. Switching from the macro to the micro focus constantly. Acting, on the other hand, requires me to forget the garden exists and become a plant! That metaphor got out of hand quickly. But the point is, to put on the acting hat, you must completely shift your perspective from outside the whole thing to inside a single character. I actually love that switch, but I will say it’s extremely difficult to do all three on one project. It’s challenging to immerse yourself in a character when everyone keeps yelling your real name to come and make decisions!

Working across so many different mediums like books and, soon, podcasting, which of these mediums has been your favorite to work in and why?
Acting will always be my first love because there’s something terrifying and exhilarating about being completely present in a moment. About mining yourself and your own psyche for clues about how another person would handle a fictional scenario, but podcasting is quickly becoming a favorite because it’s so immediate and personal. There’s nowhere to hide—which is both the fun and the problem!

Tell us a little bit about your podcast with your husband, Tyler Mane, titled “Mane AF.”
MANE AF is basically Tyler and me trying to figure out midlife out loud. We talk about marriage, health, cancer, grief, aging, grown kids, careers, changing bodies and all the other things nobody sends you an instruction manual for. We’re bringing in both experts to weigh in and some of our celebrity friends to walk with us through this “crunch” stage of life.

Why was this a project you wanted to embark on together, and what does it mean to you?
We’ve spent 25 years building a life together, and this past year gave us some pretty brutal wake-up calls. I’ve run a live Twitch studio before and had a blast. Tyler has been sharing more of his personal stories about dyslexia and being bullied as a kid lately, and the response from the community has been that it has actually helped others who struggle with the same things.

Then our work with Deliver Fund through THE LAST SPARTAN. I think we both wanted to explore how to help others as ourselves instead of through a fictional tale. The podcast gives us a place to turn some of our experiences and curiosity into connection through the sharing of information. Like Tyler said when he shared his breast cancer diagnosis, “If I can get just ONE PERSON to get checked out earlier, I might be able to save someone from a bad outcome.”

How do you keep up with a healthy work/life balance in your relationship?
Some days, we don’t! We work together, live together and now podcast together, so boundaries are definitely a work in progress. We try to have separate lanes, specific work hours and occasionally make it through dinner, or turn out the lights at bedtime, without turning it into a production meeting. But it’s HARD because neither of us are good at turning the wheels in our brains off once they’re going.

“The Last Spartan: Red Tape” is another passion project of yours. How would you describe this graphic novel, and what do you hope readers will take away from reading it?
It’s a gritty action thriller about an ex-biker who risks his freedom to rescue a kidnapped girl and gets pulled into Atlanta’s human-trafficking underworld. First and foremost, I want people to have a great time reading it. But if they close the book entertained and realizing trafficking is insidious and everywhere, then we did something worthwhile. 40-50% of people trafficked are trafficked by a family member, romantic partner or someone they know.

And 95-96% of all trafficking case defendants charged in U.S. federal courts are U.S. citizens. There’s been a push of propaganda lately to make it seem like the bad guys are some “other” people. But the truth is, the bad guys are the ones sitting right next to the victims, they’re people you most likely know and they look just like you and me. The call is coming from inside the house.

A portion of the proceeds from the novel are donated to DeliverFund, a nonprofit that combats human trafficking. Why is this a cause that is meaningful and important to you?
Researching the book completely changed my understanding of human trafficking. I went into it thinking I knew what it looked like and discovered how wrong I was, and how frighteningly close to home it can be. DeliverFund is doing tangible work to help law enforcement find traffickers and victims, so supporting them felt like a natural extension of the story.

You have been known to support PAWS Atlanta and A Purposeful Rescue in LA. Describe your relationship with these organizations and why being an advocate for animals means so much to you.
I’ve been a supporter of animal rescue for years, both in Los Angeles and now in Atlanta. I was actually accepted to Michigan State with a track to their veterinary program when I was in high school before I shifted to theatre. I don’t understand how anyone can say, “It’s JUST an animal.” Maybe it’s from growing up in the country with animals as my companions in the solitude, but I have always understood that they see, understand and feel a heck of a lot more than most people give them credit for.

And they have no control over their circumstances or the humans they land with, so I feel very strongly that those of us who can help them should. I find animals to be much more consistent and loyal than a lot of humans, and so I have felt it’s my job to protect as many as I can and support groups who are doing the good work. PAWS Atlanta and A Purposeful Rescue in Los Angeles are two of my favorites.

It has been a crazy last few years, and we expect at least three more. How do you stay positive in general about the unknown and motivated as an artist?
Three more? Why three more?!? I vote 2026 is the end of the craziness. (laughs) No one stays positive all the time, and I’m okay with that. That’s honestly where the best art comes from. But I try to stay curious and keep moving. When the future feels overwhelming, I remind myself of all the little things around me that I am so lucky to have and use that as proof that the universe has my back. And then I shrink the question down to, “What can I do today?” Creating something is usually a pretty good answer. If that fails, I find that cleaning a tiny space can usually catapult me back to motivation or at least a small satisfaction.

What can we expect next from you short term in your career?
A lot of MANE AF! We just launched, so we’re building the show and bringing in some fantastic guests. And, man, podcasting is a full-time job! I’m also continuing to pursue acting and working on releasing the next THE LAST SPARTAN story, LONE WOLF, so apparently my solution to a chaotic year was to become busier. Plus, I have several scripts in various draft stages, so I’m looking at my calendar for when I can carve out a week for a deep dive into one.

What is your motto in life?
These days? “Don’t wait.” Make the call, take the trip, try the scary thing, tell people you love them. There’s a lot less “someday” in my vocabulary now.

To learn more about Renae Geerlings, please check out the links below:
MANE AF Podcast:
@maneafpod on Instagram, Facebook and X
@maneafpod1 on TikTok
MANE AF Podcast on YouTube
Renae: @renaegeerlings on Instagram
The Last Spartan: thelastspartan.com
Mane Entertainment: maneentertainment.com
MANE AF links: linktr.ee/maneafpod

Photography Credits: Michele Santoro

Renae Geerlings Cannot Be Pinned Down By One Pursuit