The Actor's Instrument with Hassiem Muhammad
Discover The Actor’s Instrument, a podcast for actors dedicated to guiding listeners through the complexities of the entertainment industry. Join host and actor Hassiem Muhammad as he interviews industry experts—from casting directors to Hollywood and Broadway stars—unveiling invaluable insights and career-building strategies. Whether you're starting out or are seasoned in your craft, tune in to demystify the path to building a sustainable acting career, one episode at a time.
The Actor's Instrument with Hassiem Muhammad
How to Make TV Writers Happy with Netflix's Sienna Lorraine
What really happens behind the scenes of your favorite shows?
In this episode, host Hassiem Muhammad sits down with Sienna Lorraine, a writer’s assistant at Lionsgate who has worked on Netflix’s No Good Deed, The Upshaws, Survival of the Thickest, and STARZ’s Power Book III: Raising Kanan. Currently working on Origins—a spinoff of a spinoff in the Power universe—Sienna gives us an unfiltered, inside look into the world of Hollywood writers’ rooms.
Together, they discuss:
- What a writer’s room actually is (and why it's such a magical space)
- The real-life trajectory of a writer in Hollywood
- Whether assistants get creative input (and how Sienna’s jokes made it to air)
- Why actors don’t always get the full script for auditions
- The increasing value of multi-hyphenate artists (writer-actors, actor-producers)
- How collaboration and respect between departments make better art
Whether you’re an actor curious about how sides are created, or a storyteller looking to break into TV writing, this candid conversation is full of insight, laughs, and inspiration.
📌 Bonus: Sienna shares her dream of leaving a legacy for other Black creatives—and how she’s actively working toward it.