“The only thing that works to take down abusers is Mo Ryan writes something about them." If we weren’t already on fire to talk with the author of Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood, this quote from a confessor would have set us aflame. This week we get our chance, as entertainment journalist Maureen “Mo” Ryan steps into the confessional booth. Mo is a Contributing Editor at Vanity Fair, and has written for Entertainment Weekly, the New York Times, EW, Salon, GQ, and Vulture.  She has spent much of the last decade writing in-depth pieces on matters of incl ..read more

Welcome back Hollywood Faithful! This week we've got an infuriating story of a scam artist posing as a writing instructor, using her student's work and passing it off as her own.  After the episode, Meagan and J.R. have a discussion on how to avoid scams in this industry and what you can do in the event that you are caught in a scam.  Connect with us: Instagram Facebook Twitter Website 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 ..read more

To be or not to be... naked? That is the question faced by our confessor this week: an up-and-coming actor who had to make a difficult decision about his career.  Join us in this week's episode of the Hollywood Confessional as we hear from this fearless creative who was up for anything... until "anything" became a bit too much. We discuss: the trouble with setting boundaries in the entertainment industry,  how to make the right decisions for your career,  how to weigh the consequences when it seems like you're damned if you do, damned if you don't. Special shout out to our ..read more

Hello Hollywood Faithful! Today we've got an on the record interview with Liz Hsiao Lan Alper and Alex Rubin of Pay Up Hollywood.  Pay Up Hollywood began as grassroots movement in 2019, in an attempt to bring attention to the pay inequities, abuses and struggles of many Hollywood assistants. In subsequent years, PayUpHollywood has campaigned for Hollywood studios and companies to pay support staffers a living wage, in an effort to both tear down the paywall that keeps historically underprivileged voices out of the industry and to ensure current support staff can afford to work in their c ..read more

We are back! Welcome to season three of Hollywood Confessional. The season opener sets the stage with a gripping narrative from a support staffer, who unveils the emotional rollercoaster of managing a monster boss. Connect with us: Instagram Facebook Twitter Website 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 ..read more

Welcome back to the Confessional! We're back for Season 3, and this year we've got more confessions, more interviews, and more producers! It's bigger, badder, and better in every way.  Join us on March 28th for our season premiere. Connect with us: Instagram Facebook Twitter Website 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 ..read more

We dedicate this episode to @Time Person of the Year Nominee the Hollywood Strikers!  Getting real for a sec, though -- the Hollywood Strikes of 2023 are officially over, and TBH we're feeling a little uncertain. A lot of hope and solidarity were born this Hot Labor Summer. Yet despite all the wins and losses, joy and tears, no one really knows what the future holds. Part of our mission at the Hollywood Confessional is to share untold stories from people working in entertainment so that other folks in the industry know they're not alone. Enter our Season Two Finale, "The Best Worst Stri ..read more

We dedicate this episode to @Time Person of the Year Nominee the Hollywood Strikers! Getting real for a sec, though -- the Hollywood Strikes of 2023 are officially over, and TBH we're feeling a little uncertain. A lot of hope and solidarity were born this Hot Labor Summer. Yet despite all the wins and losses, joy and tears, no one really knows what the future holds. Part of our mission at the Hollywood Confessional is to share untold stories from people working in entertainment so that other folks in the industry know they're not alone. Enter our Season Two Finale, "The Best Worst Strike Story ..read more

Nolwen Cifuentes and Dyan Jong had an idea. An independent digital platform celebrating the cinematic achievements of actors, screenwriters, and filmmakers with a focus on diverse voices and perspectives. But as they saw the very people they aimed to uplift locked in a grueling labor struggle, they dedicated their first two issues to highlighting the stories, challenges, and concerns of SAG-AFTRA and WGA union members during the current strikes. Join us in the booth as we talk with Nolwen and Dyan about their inspiration for creating JULY Magazine and how they've pivoted to show support for th ..read more

Strike news drops. In Variety, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, TheWrap. Hundreds of thousands of people jump on the story, the future subject of their talks, hopes, fears, and social media stands. But where did it come from… and why? In this week’s episode of the Hollywood Confessional, an entertainment journalist gives the inside scoop on what goes on behind the scenes at a trade publication. From the insane hours and grueling work to the genuine love of story that drives them — even when the system gets them down — our confessor gets real about how news gets made in Hollywood, and sheds li ..read more