Meryl Streep Is Doing Guest Stars. What Does It Mean for Us? | Powerhouse Conversations Ep. 34

Hey hey, welcome to Powerhouse Conversations. Just going to pause at the top here and wait for Facebook and Instagram to go live. Looks like we're good there. And we're good there. Perfect. Hey there. So today we're going to talk about something um that is just kind of timely. You know, I would say that probably 80% of the actors that I talk to, and I talk to a lot of actors on a regular basis as you can imagine, are in some kind of like doomsday scenario about the state of the industry, right? There are fewer shows, the middle class actor is disappearing, whatever's left, AI is coming for that, right? Like maybe it's time for us to get out. Maybe it's time for something different. And when you think about the fact that like actors like Meryl Meryl Streep are doing guest stars, I can see why people are freaking out, right? Like if she if people like that are taking the guest stars, if like movie stars are now doing all this TV work, commercials, whatever, voiceover, narrating audiobooks, right? Like what exactly is left for the rest of us? But what does that really mean? Because I don't think it means what everybody's afraid it means. And I'm not going to sit here and tell you like the industry is fine, it's fine, everything is going to be fine, but I do want to talk about how we can think about this and what we can do. Clip that. So first I just want to like say some things some things out loud because I think that a lot of the anxiety that we feel comes from feeling like the people around us are giving advice that's not really tethered to like what's actually going on. We can't pretend none of this is happening. So, let's talk about what's different between now and the before times. One, there are fewer shows, right? A few years ago, we were at the top of what everyone's calling Peak TV. That peak is behind us. Streamers stopped spending money like they had all the money in the world and the money was free, right? Like and the ones, the shows that do get made tend to have shorter seasons. A lot of them are shooting somewhere other than Los Angeles. So, especially if you live in LA, like I'm in LA most of the time, you have felt that one, right? Like production here has been down quarter after quarter and it hasn't really bounced back yet. And the second thing is that the middle has gotten squeezed, right? This is the one that the Meryl question is really about. The career that used to be built on a steady co-stars, guest stars, and that was enough to pay your rent. That was enough to keep your health insurance. That career just has fewer opportunities than it used to. And when there are fewer shows, the guest star roles that exist get filled differently, right? And sometimes that means there is a famous name because that means marketing for the show. You know, um I gave the Meryl Streep example because she did this multi-season arc on Only Murders in the Building. She got an Emmy Emmy nomination in 2024 for it. You know, these things are happening. And then number three, AI, right? This is not like some sci-fi version where there's robots taking over, but like self-tape tools, synthetic voices, the background actor question, right? The uncertainty about what the next contract actually protects or not. All of this, even if what you're reading is kind of like noise and whatever, it's so exhausting to think about. And then number four, there's all these new kinds of work, right? Vertical dramas. Um these are real now, you know, like a lot I feel like early in the game it was like a punch line to a joke, but now some of them have real budgets. SAG after put out an agreement for them this year. A lot of you have already shot one or many, right? And some of you have feelings about that, so we're going to come back to that. So that's the list. We've got fewer shows, we've got a thinner middle area, there's all this AI stuff, and there are all these new formats, and so if you have have felt like oh my god, I just can't get my footing here it's because the ground is moving beneath you, like things are changing, and that is always going to happen, and it's going to be happening faster and faster. Nothing is wrong with you. This is what's actually happening. Clip that. Um so I just want to say one more thing before we move on. When someone tells you the industry is fine, just keep going, just whatever that feels super dismissive. I understand that. And when someone tells you nope, it's over that also doesn't feel true. There are people who are working, okay? There are people who are making their health insurance. Like this is happening. The actors who I see doing well right now are the ones who can hold the real picture and still get up and do the next thing that is within their control. That is the skill. Not optimism or doomsday, [clears throat] but like paying attention and taking care of the things that you can control. So we're going to talk about that. Clip that. Okay, so what does it really mean when actors like Meryl Streep are doing guest stars? I think it means three things, and only one of them is like not great. So the first thing it means is the obvious one, yeah. Um at the top of the call sheet, huge names are taking some episodic roles that used to go to journeymen, working actors, not necessarily names. That is real. Not going to pretend that it isn't. The second thing it means is that people like Meryl Streep want these jobs. She's arguably the most decorated actress alive. She looked at a guest arc on a half-hour comedy and said yes because the work was good and the people were people she wanted to be in a room with. And that tells you something about what this career actually is. This is not some linear ladder that you climb and you just stay at the top forever. It's a working life. You do good work with people you like for as long as you can. Even Meryl Streep is still doing that. And that means that this version of success that you think you need to attain was always kind of a fantasy. There's going to be no time where you know you don't have to work for it or you know things are just flowing and whatever for everyone. And there's something so freeing in that. And the third thing, and this is the really important thing that I want you to take with you, how do you think Meryl got that guest arc? Of course, yes, she's Meryl Streep, but someone who makes that show wanted her, built that role around her. The job, I guarantee you, was like an offer or a relationship, right? And that is what is happening. And it actually works the same way for the rest of us, even if your name is not known. And when there's less of everything, when there are less like roles and opportunities to go around, that becomes true, more true. Fewer shows mean the people hiring have less time to do it. There's more risk. Um, when people have less time and more risk, they hire who they know. Like people are hiring people who they know. Not necessarily who's best or, you know, the thousandth tape that they're watching. They're hiring actors that they trust. And so, when we're in a squeeze like this, it doesn't make relationships matter less. It makes them matter so much more. The actor who has a clear story and who has these 12 really warm industry relationships is in a such a better position this year than the actor with beautiful materials who's making a thousand cold submissions or whose agent is making a thousand cold submissions. That was true before and it's just more true now. Clip that. And then I just want to offer one more reframe before I get practical with like the things I think we should be doing now. You are never competing with Meryl Streep. You're not competing with the thousand other people who were submitted on your breakdown either. The way I've always thought about this and the way I teach it inside my community at the table is when you are clear on who you are and what you are here to do, the competition becomes kind of irrelevant. If a role is connected to you, it is not connected to someone else. If a role was Meryl Streep's role, it was never your role. And that's not a loss. That's just not your job. Your jobs are the one that fit the specific, castable, legible actor who you are. And nobody else is coming for those. So, what still works for actors who are out here and want to do this? There are three things that I want to talk about today. None of them are new. You've probably heard me talk about these things before, but because of where we are right now in the industry, all three of them are so much more valuable. The first one, expand your view of what counts as the work. If your definition of a real acting job is a network TV role in Los Angeles, like that definition is shrinking on you, right? But there's theater, there's indies, there's regional work, there's the vertical that is actually paying scale and shooting for four days. There's the short that you make with a friend from class. There's all of these opportunities. And I am not at all telling you to say yes to everything. That is the opposite of what I teach. But I'm telling you that the actors who are working right now have a wider definition of working than the actors who are waiting for this one little thing. And a lot of them are in creation mode, which is what I call it in the table when you stop taking you stop waiting for permission and start making things. The industry contracted, but your definition of the work doesn't have to and shouldn't. The second thing is be clear on who you are, be legible, and also be known. Be known. This is the whole game when the market is tighter. Like this is literally everything. Hi, April. Um so legible means that everything about you including your headshots, your reel, your profiles, your socials all point at this one specific castable actor who you are. So a person who's busy, a person who's a little anxious can place you in two seconds. Known means at least a dozen real industry relationships that you keep warm on purpose. That could be a real thank you after a session. I actually had a had an audition late last week with an office that I hadn't been in for a long time. And I emailed them just a quick thank you after and I was like, I haven't seen you since I actually I think the last audition I had with them I went into the office, which is crazy, like pre-pandemic. It's like I haven't seen you since a while like pre-pandemic and it was so great to receive this. This is one of my favorite shows. Thanks so much. And they wrote back. And I'm like, oh my gosh, you're so welcome. Great to hear from you. Thanks for the email. You know, like this stuff works. Sending a note when someone show premieres or gets picked back up. One power move a day, even one power move a week because who gets hired when there are less opportunities to go around? The person they already trust, the person they already know. And then number three. Decide what you are going to do from your own data and not the headlines. We need to know what's going on in the industry for sure. But a lot of that is stuff that we cannot control. It's about the whole industry. It's like a macro view. It doesn't really say much about you and your particular situation. Your career is about your numbers. How many auditions did you have this year compared to last year? How many came through relationships versus cold submissions? What's your callback ratio? Right? These are all different questions, different problems, different fixes. The industry's data is telling you like what the weather is outside, but your data is telling you like, okay, what do I do with that? What do I actually wear right now today? Clip that. So why do your definition of the work be really legible and clear and specific and decide from your own data? None of that means that the industry has to be fine. All of it works whether it's fine or not. And this is why I'm so focused on the table right now, not because the industry is dying and you should buy my thing. Like that's not what I'm saying. But the actors who I built the table for are discerning. What you need is a clear-eyed read on what's changed, a plan that works for you, for the few actions that actually matter right now, a a of actors at your stage, not below you, who can say, yeah, this part feels hard, and you can feel seen in that room, and you can feel safe in that room. And also, actors who have real lives. The structure flexes so you can use it in the weeks that you're super busy, and you can use it in the weeks that you have more time. So if that sounds like the right support for the actor that you are right now, come take a look. Link is in the YouTube description. It's claimaseat.com. Okay? So here's the whole thing, a recap. The industry has changed. Yes. There are fewer shows. There is a thinner middle class, if you will. There's new formats. There's AI, right? Like the top is crowded, but it also means that work is here. Work is still work. It still moves through relationships at every level, and the actors doing well right now are necessarily the optimists and aren't the doomsday people. They're the ones who are paying attention and doing the next human, data-informed thing to move their careers forward. And if they're able to do that in a consistent way, I'm telling you, they're working. So not saying the industry is fine, but it's also not over. And so this is what works for actors who are paying attention. I'll see you next week.