Screaming into the Hollywood Abyss

We talk to the amazing Ann Cusack. She speaks honestly about the process of dealing with rejection, what she learned from the roles she didn’t get and the obsession with social media and the illusion of success.
She talks about the under-rated importance of just being a nice person, working on harmonious sets and remembering to say thank you.
Ann tells us about the support system of being part of a successful Hollywood family, the absence of sibling rivalry and also the importance of finding your own way of dealing with rejection and the roles that got away.
An honest, articulate and insightful discussion of the realities of the entertainment industry.

Your hosts Noah Evslin and Dan Rutstein explain what their new podcast is all about.
Screaming into the Hollywood Abyss, is a podcast about failure, rejection and adversity in the entertainment industry.
Seasoned Hollywood writer Noah and former diplomat and podcaster Dan take you on a journey through the lows of Hollywood life and are joined each week by a talented guest who will guide you through their journey and how they dealt with the difficult times along the way.
It's honest, candid, inspirational and heartbreaking in equal measure.
We hope you enjoy!

Screenwriter Zack Stentz gives an honest account of the tough world of Hollywood and what a writer has to go through to make it.
He talks about the red carpet highs of Thor and X-Men First Class but then the long periods of struggling to get anything made.
In a powerful and candid discussion he talks about dealing with toxic fandom, the emotions of splitting from a long-time writing partner and going it alone as well the transition from film to tv and back again.
He talks about his fears of being aged out of Hollywood, how he takes no success for granted and the cold-hearted world of taking over writing rooms from cancelled shows.
And how he nearly gave it all up to go back to journalism, even though that profession was in freefall.

We talk to the extraordinary Sheryl J. Anderson, veteran writer and showrunner. She tells us how 'famous, toxic' writers' rooms taught her how to lead her own show the right way, her regrets about not speaking up to protect women writers in her youth and the tremendous influence of her military father.
She explains how the best work can be done by a happy team, how the extraordinary success of Sweet Magnolias only inspires her to work harder and her 'law school' moments of sitting on the kitchen floor crying in the middle of the night and wondering if she should give up writing and do something different.
An honest, thoughtful and insightful view of how to survive and succeed in Hollywood.

We talk to the extraordinary writer and producer Akela Cooper.
She talks about combatting the loneliness of writing, particularly during a pandemic, the sage advice of her mother and the discipline of constantly working on her own projects even when in a room.
Akela talks honestly and openly about an abusive experience she faced, how she had the strength to walk away and the fear that she would be branded 'difficult' in a tough industry. 
She explains how she overcame that challenging time, what she has learned from it and the ways she wants to run her own show.
A deep, personal and powerful interview which ends with the ‘will you die’ approach to dealing with failure.