Hollywood Confessional
Hollywood secrets... anonymously told.
"You'll never work in this town again."
For decades, those words -- or the sentiment behind them -- have cloaked all manner of evil in the entertainment industry.
As the #MeToo, #TimesUp, #PayUpHollywood, and many other movements demonstrate, times are changing. Yet there are countless things happening behind closed doors that people feel they can't talk about and wish they could.
This podcast changes all that. Actors, writers, crew members and support staffers reveal their wildest behind-the-scenes secrets on this podcast in total anonymity. And then you get to listen to their stories.
Hosted by writer-producers Meagan Daine and J.R. Zamora-Thal, the Hollywood Confessional is a biweekly podcast by Ninth Way Media. New episodes drop every other Thursday. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Connect on social media @fessuphollywood!
Episodes
51 episodes
You Never Know Who's Watching
***SERIES FINALE!***Welcome back Hollywood Faithful, one last time! This week, we hear the magical, heartwarming tale of an actor who gets invited to a holiday party at a stunning A-lister's mansion... and then learns they have to perfo...
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Season 3
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Episode 17
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16:32
Portrait of a Survivor Part 2
"When I first met him, I was like, this guy is going to be a fucking problem."In Part 2 of our oral history "Portrait of a Survivor," we hear from a new perspective on an abusive Hollywood showrunner... that of his assistant's close fri...
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Season 3
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Episode 16
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25:36
Portrait of a Survivor Part 1
"These people are never going to have sharp claws and pointed teeth. They're going to look like your good friend. And they're mostly going to act like your good friend. And then every once in a while..."In this episode of the Hollywood ...
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Season 3
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Episode 15
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26:57
Don't Want My MTV: Tales from a Music Video PA
Hippie chicks. Jam sessions. A bomb on wheels. In this quintessential "Hollywood coming of age" story, our confessor finds themselves in one wild situation after the next, starting with their cross-country road trip to LA."It w...
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Season 3
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Episode 14
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20:23
Last One Standing
Welcome back Hollywood Faithful! Surviving the emotional waves of Hollywood layoffs is no small feat. This week, our guest, a project manager in post-production localization, shares their story of how they watched as most of their ...
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Season 3
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Episode 13
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18:19
Confessions of a Hollywood Gatekeeper
Why do some screenplays get green lit, while others never see the light of day?Join us this week for some behind-the-scenes intel from a studio script reader, a self-described "first gatekeeper" who's been part of the process of getting...
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Season 3
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Episode 12
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22:17
Untouchable: When a Toxic Person Can't Be Fired
Trigger Warning: Self-harm and drug use. We all know how hard it is to land a job in this industry, but what about how hard it is to fire someone... even when they deserve it?In this week's episode, we hear from a confessor who ...
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Season 3
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Episode 11
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24:51
Speaking Out: Survival Stories from a Voiceover Actor
How do you pursue a career in an industry where even your "advocates" are keeping you down?That's the story of this week's confessor, a voiceover actor who successfully navigates many typical obstacles to a creative career, only to disc...
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Season 3
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Episode 10
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19:43
What Happens in Editing
Hello Hollywood Faithful! Welcome back to another episode of the Hollywood Confessional, the podcast where industry professionals share their deepest, darkest, most insane Hollywood stories. This week we have a story about an edito...
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Season 3
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Episode 9
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20:34
The Things We Do For Love
How far would you go to make a movie? This week's confessor had to face that question within minutes of taking a gig co-producing an indie film... and personally, we're still recovering 😩😩😩Sweet-talking property managers, hustling for f...
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Season 3
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Episode 8
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26:23
Burn It Down: Investigating Hollywood's Power Dynamics with Maureen Ryan
“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 fro...
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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58:26
It's Me, Fake Carol
"I love writers. But if there's one thing my mom taught me, it's if you love something make it suffer."With that tweet, the parody account that slayed with truth and laughs during the 2023 Hollywood labor strikes was born. And so was th...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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29:49
Class Con
Scam artists steal dreams. We're finding ways to get payback.In this incendiary episode of the Hollywood Confessional, we hear from an aspiring writer who pursued a seemingly great opportunity: taking a class from a mentorship program, ...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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27:36
On Being Naked A Lot
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 a...
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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25:49
#PayUpHollywood Fesses Up: An Interview with Liz Hsiao Lan Alper and Alex Rubin
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 in...
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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50:37
Mind the Gap
Imagine you're working your ass off for a thankless 60+ hours a week job on a TV show, and you discover everyone else in your position is making more than you.PS, they're all men. And you're the only woman.In this week's episode...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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27:34
Bitch It Was You
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.
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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34:42
Season 3 Trailer - New Episodes Coming March 28th!
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.
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Season 3
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Episode 0
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2:49
The Best Worst Strike Story Ever
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 h...
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Season 2
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Episode 18
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21:50
The Publishers: Interview with the Creators of July Magazine
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 ai...
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Season 2
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Episode 17
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24:03
Making Trades: Behind the Scenes at a Hollywood News Outlet
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...
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Season 2
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Episode 16
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22:44
The Pizza Angel of the Picket Line
For 130 days and counting, fresh, hot pizzas have appeared on the LA studio picket lines every... single... day. How?Meet this week's guest on the Hollywood Confessional, Jess Morse! Jess is one of many people making Hollywood a happier...
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Season 2
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Episode 15
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20:36
Behind Closed Doors: A Studio Executive Confession
Power talks behind closed doors. In this special confession, we hear from an executive at a streaming arm of a studio about what's actually being said and done inside the studios during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. How corporate ...
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Season 2
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Episode 14
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13:40
Green Envelope Grocery Aid
Hello Hollywood Faithful! This week we've got a very special episode where we interview Joelle Garfinkel, creator of Green Envelope Grocery Aid. Joelle is actively working to make Hollywood a happier place by organizing a mutual aid fund for th...
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Season 2
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Episode 14
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24:46