The Comeback

Explicit content warning

02/23/23 • 23 min

Hollywood Confessional

What if you got your first big break in Hollywood at age 24... and then didn’t get another for 25 years?

In this incredible first confession of our second season, we hear from a fearless aspiring filmmaker who scored a job directing a studio feature film when they were barely out of college. But as thrilling as it sounds, the experience wasn’t what they expected...

"One day about halfway through, I woke up in my hotel room after 12 hours of sleep, and I couldn’t move. I laid in the bed. Looked at the ceiling, and I was like, it’s only week three. I have four more weeks. I’m not going to make it.”

After enduring the intense highs and lows of being a first-time director on a multi-million-dollar film, our confessor gets a major win... but somehow it still feels like a loss. The decades-long struggle that follows highlights how hard it can be to maintain a career, even after your first big break, but it also leads the confessor to some powerful revelations.

“It dawned on me that if one mode is no longer yielding the results you want, you have two choices. You can blame everybody else. Or you can change your approach.”

In this episode, we get into the following:

1. The difficulties of maintaining a career in the entertainment industry – even after you break in

2. The truth behind the saying, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint”

3. What it takes to keep pursuing your goals in your darkest moments

Finally, we top off the episode with a shoutout and a call to action – to you, our listeners! Our goal is to make #fessuphollywood a movement. A community of creative people who all want to make Hollywood a happier place. Let’s build that together! Connect with us on socials @fessuphollywood. Share this episode with a friend. Leave us a review and rating here. And join us in two weeks for another episode of the Hollywood Confessional!

Other episodes we think you'll enjoy:

"Clipboard Girl" - A tough aspiring filmmaker faces a disaster her first day on set but finds a way to turn it into a win for her career.

“The Sound of Silence” - An audio technician discovers working for one of the most famous people on earth is far more stressful than it sounds.

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Connect with us:

Check out some of our favorite shows:

Hollywood Confessional is a Ninth Way Media production, produced by Meagan Daine and J.R. Zamora-Thal.
Sound Effects and Music provided by Zapsplat and Pixabay.
Keywords: filmmaking podcast, film podcast, screenwriting podcast, entertainment podcast, Hollywood, filmmaking, writerslife, actorslife, setlife

What if you got your first big break in Hollywood at age 24... and then didn’t get another for 25 years?

“It dawned on me that if one mode is no longer yielding the results you want, you have two choices. You can blame everybody else. Or you can change your approach.”

In this episode, we get into the following:

1. The difficulties of maintaining a career in the entertainment industry – even after you break in

2. The truth behind the saying, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint”

3. What it takes to keep pursuing your goals in your darkest moments

Other episodes we think you'll enjoy:

"Clipboard Girl" - A tough aspiring filmmaker faces a disaster her first day on set but finds a way to turn it into a win for her career.

“The Sound of Silence” - An audio technician discovers working for one of the most famous people on earth is far more stressful than it sounds.

“

Connect with us:

Check out some of our favorite shows:

Previous Episode

Season 2 Trailer! New Episodes Start Feb 23

Hollywood Faithful! We are back and better than ever. Please join us in Season 2 for higher highs, lower lows, and crazier stories of everything that happens in Hollywood. We'll hear from writers, directors, crew members, people who have found fame, and those still chasing it.
It's going to be a wild ride!
Hollywood Confessional is a Ninth Way Media production, produced by Meagan Daine and J.R. Zamora-Thal.
IG/Twitter: @fessuphollywood
Sound Effects and Music provided by Zapsplat and Pixabay.
Keywords: Hollywood, Writing, Acting, Directing, Narrative, Interview, Screenwriting, Writer Life

Connect with us:

Hollywood Confessional is a Ninth Way Media production, produced by Meagan Daine and J.R. Zamora-Thal.
Sound Effects and Music provided by Zapsplat and Pixabay.
Keywords: How to Break into Hollywood, Entertainment Industry Jobs, Entertainment Industry Podcast, Screenwriting Podcast, Filmmaking Podcast

Connect with us:

Check out some of our favorite shows:

Next Episode

Audition Crasher

Hustlers will stop at nothing to make it in Hollywood. So what happens when something stops them?

In this week’s confession, a determined up-and-coming actor decides to break into the business by any means necessary. Stealing passwords, going through garbage – they’ll do anything to achieve their goal. And at first, the hustle pays off!

“I would go from casting office to casting office with a bag of different clothes – like I had a ‘bad girl’ outfit and a ‘nerdy secretary’ – and see who was in the waiting room and if I could see the sides on the walls. And that is how I booked a national commercial.”

But when you’re pursuing a career in the entertainment industry, one break rarely gets you all the way in. For this confessor, that first national commercial was just one step down a seemingly endless road. And as their career progressed, crashing auditions got more complicated, forcing them to question their choices.

“Around age 30, I started to get fed up. With acting, and with the grind. All of it... and then one day, my apartment got burglarized.”

In this episode, we get into the following:

1. How to break in as an actor by any means necessary (don’t try this at home!)

2. How to create opportunities for yourself, even without support

3. How to find your true passion

Finally, we top off the episode with a shoutout to a Hollywood pioneer in the animation industry who’s helping up-and-coming animators achieve their dreams – Rose Duignon. Huge thanks to Rose for making Hollywood a happier place!
If you know someone who deserves a shoutout, let us know on Twitter or IG @fessuphollywood. And please leave us a review and rating here! We’ll be back in two weeks with another episode of Hollywood Confessional.

Other episodes we think you'll enjoy:

"Clipboard Girl" - A tough aspiring filmmaker faces a disaster her first day on set but finds a way to turn it into a win for her career.

“Resting Smile Face” & “The Method” - A PA learns that their friendly face might encourage a-holes to ask for favors. An aspiring actor deals with a shady coach who was really teaching people to bully.

Connect with us:

Check out some of our favorite shows: