Acting jobs seem to be coming back slowly but surely since the strikes last year, but not everyone is thrilled with the pace at which jobs are returning.
Several actors and actresses feel as if things are too slow, they can’t get work, and panic is setting in.
Amid the panic, several shows have been announcing their new cast members this week.
Are roles in Hollywood really that slim? Will things pick back up? Who has been cast in new roles this week? Let’s take a look at all of this information and see what the deal is with Hollywood.
Actors Fear for Work as Hollywood Picks Back Up Following Strikes
Last year was a tough year for actors and writers as we went through the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, bringing a lot of television production to a screeching halt.
New deals and contracts were made, and things are picking back up, but much slower than before. Many actors can’t find work and are scared that they won’t be able to in the future, either.
Deadline spoke to a few casting directors to get an idea of how things in the industry are going.
Several casting directors and associates gave statements, most following the same basic idea: Things are slow now because we’re recovering from strikes, but things should pick back up. However, not everyone is so hopeful.
Robert J. Ulrich, casting director of The Boys, shared his own insight regarding how slow things have been for actors and writers.
“I think at the moment it’s taking a while to get back from the strike. So yes, I think right now there are less jobs. Do I think it’s going to be forever? No. I think it’s a temporary thing.”
He added, “All my friends are actors, and they’re all panicked. They’re losing their insurance. It’s terrible.”
SAG-AFTRA President and LA local Jodi Long shared similar sentiments about work being slow.
“I see it from my friends because a lot of them are young, and they’re like, ‘I’m not having an audition.’ I do think it’s natural for the contraction to happen, even though we were so excited to be back to work.”
“The industry has to take a deep breath. I think it’s going to come back, just like the stock market always falls back. There’s a contraction, and then it’s got to move forward,” she added.
When it comes down to it, Tiffany Little Canfield, the casting director for Only Murders in the Building, said it best: “We have to remember that not only is our industry in recovery from a double strike but also a world pandemic.”
“So I think we’re all in recovery mode. I don’t think that we should be afraid. I think that work will come back because there are so many incredible storytellers. It’s just that it might not be business as usual. We might have to get creative,” she concluded.
While many actors are worried that they won’t be able to find work, there have been a handful of actors this week who have been fortunate enough to be cast in new roles.
Suits: LA Adds Troy Winbush to Cast
Troy Winbush (The Wilds) Is joining the cast of NBC’s drama pilot Suits: LA, a spin-off of the Suits universe from Aaron Korsh.
Winbush will play Kevin, a guest star with the potential to be moved up to a recurring character if the pilot is picked up. Kevin is Ted Black’s (Stephen Amell) old friend and ex-partner. He’s also a former FBI agent turned private detective.
Suits: LA focuses on Ted Black, a former federal prosecutor from New York. He decided to rebrand himself and now represents the most powerful clients in Los Angeles after teaming up with his old friend, Stuart Lane (Josh McDermitt).
Together, they built Black Lane Law, specializing in criminal and entertainment law.
Unfortunately, the firm isn’t doing too well, and to make things work, Ted must embrace a role he has hated for his entire career.
Surrounded by a group of characters who test their loyalties to Ted and each other, Ted also deals with the events that lead him to leave behind everything and everyone he loves.
Mayfair Witches Adds to Season 2 Cast
As Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches prepares for Season 2, another face has joined the cast.
Ben Feldman (Superstore, Man Men) has joined the cast in a series regular role. He’ll be playing Sam ‘Lark’ Larkin, a successful CEO of a genetics startup and Roawn’s (Alexandra Daddario) former boyfriend, who has come back into her life.
The series follows intuitive young neurosurgeon Rowan Fielding (Alexandra Daddario), who finds out that she’s the heir to a family of witches.
Not only must she learn the strength of her powers, but she has to deal with a menacing presence that has haunted her family for generations.
The series also stars Jack Huston as Lasher, Tongayi Chirisa as Ciprien Grieve, and Harry Hamlin as Cortland Mayfair. New cast additions include Alyssa Jirrels, Ted Levine, and Thora Birch.
You Season 5 Adds Madeline Brewer
Gearing up for its final season, Madeline Brewer has joined the cast for You Season 5.
Brewer joins as series regular Bronte, an enigmatic and free-spirited playwright who comes to work for Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) at his bookstore.
The two bond over literature and loss, and eventually, Joe starts to wonder how he got to this place in his life and misses his former self.
You is based on Caroline Kepnes’ best-selling novel of the same name and follows the story of Joe Goldberg, a man who will do anything when love is at stake.
Paramount+ Series Happy Face Announces New Cast Member
Actor James Wolk (Ordinary Joe) has found work as he’s the latest addition to join Paramount+’s Happy Face series.
As previously reported by TV Fanatic, Dennis Quaid will play the titular role of the serial killer known as Happy Face, known by the smiley faces he drew on evidence where he bragged about his crimes.
Wolk stars opposite Annaleigh Ashford, who plays Happy Face’s daughter, Melissa.
The series is inspired by the true-life story of Melissa More, the Happy Face podcast from iHeartPodcasts and Moore, and Moore’s autobiography, Shattered Silence, co-authored by M. Bridget Cook.
After years of no contact, Melissa’s father finds a way back into her life from prison, and now Melissa must find out if an innocent man is going to be put to death for a crime her father committed.
Wolk joins the series as Melissa’s handsome and hunky husband, a “bank manager by day, marathon-trainer by night.”
He knows about Melissa’s secret and believes that they’ve left that behind them until Happy Face reaches out — something that Melissa’s husband is not happy about as he worries that Melissa is being manipulated by her serial killer father.
Karen Pittman and Wood Harris Join Forever Cast
Forever, a new Netflix series from Mara Brock Akil has landed two new cast members as well.
Karen Pittman and Wood Harris join the cast of Forever, starring as leads opposite Michael Cooper Jr. and Lovie Simone.
Forever is a reimagining of Judy Blume’s influential 1975 novel Forever… for a new generation.
The new adaptation tells the incredible love story of two Black Teens, Keisha Clark (Simone) and Justin Edwards (Cooper Jr.), as they explore romance and their identities together through the awkward journey of being each other’s firsts. The story takes place in Los Angeles in 2018.
Pittman plays Dawn, Justin’s strict but loving mother. She’s a college-educated top executive in corporate finance, has worked hard for herself and her son, and wants him to make the best decisions he can in life.
Harris plays Eric, a restauranteur with a high school and life degree. He’s also the more lenient parent to Justin, who knows his son feels a lot of pressure to do well in school and athletics. He has a good relationship with Justin and has his own set of boundaries as a parent.
What do you think about acting roles in Hollywood?
Is acting a dying art, or will it pick back up?
Let us know in the comments below.
In the meantime, stay tuned at TV Fanatic for the latest news in television.
Devin Piel, an entertainment news writer from the Midwest with a passion for true crime and binge-streaming the latest Netflix series, is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. You can follow her on X.