The Actor’s Guide to the End of the World

Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World, Episode 101!

Follow us @ActorsGuidePodcast. Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ActorsGuidePod

It's the spooky season and we're talking about latest issues in our industry that will SCARE a lot of actors...

Danny Trejo is facing backlash for starring in Pawn Shop, a Daily Wire film from Ben Shapiro’s production company. His son says Danny had never heard of Shapiro and is locked into a Pro-ICE film. Trejo is binded under contract but has just released a statement. What can ac...

Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World, Episode 100, part 2!

Follow us @ActorsGuidePodcast. Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ActorsGuidePod

If you didn’t catch our special episode last week, we had to split it into two parts. Go ahead and listen to it, we’ll wait..

This week, we have another “Greatest Movies Never Seen”- Rob Reiner Aaron Sorkin edition, in honor of the iconic Rob Reiner.

We watch “The American President” for the first time, which is very timely for several reasons. Did you know it...

Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World, Episode 100!

Follow us @ActorsGuidePodcast. Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ActorsGuidePod

This is a very special one, and so packed, we had to split it into two parts.

E-Kan and Rían reminisce and look back on doing the podcast for 100 episodes (can you believe it?). The surprises, lessons learned, and even a few confessions.

Some topics that are discussed include, how differently E-Kan and Rían feel suited for podcasting, how it changed how they look at th...

Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World, Episode 99!

Follow us @ActorsGuidePodcast. Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ActorsGuidePod

Paramount's deal for Warner Bros was halted by twelve states Attorneys for monopolizing Hollywood and beyond. We get into the details of how the attorneys caved, ahem, settled. But there's a twist- it's not over yet, keep listening and you'll hear why.

E-Kan and Rían also get into: three hikers who trusted Gemini AI to plan their Mount Shasta trip and ended up stranded overnight in Mud Creek C...

Welcome to the Actors Guide to the End of the World Podcast, Episode 98!

The 2026 Emmys delivered a whopper of the night- records broken, emotional moments, led by Mariska Hargitay (the first female Emmys host in 15 years) — and we're breaking it all down. Widows Bay swept, including Matthew Rhys pulling off a same-night double win nobody's ever done before, and Rob Reiner broke his own father's 48-year Emmy record. Some touching high points were Michael J. Fox's Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, the Catherine O'Hara and Dolly Parton tribute, and the in-memoriam list.

It was also a hu...

Welcome to the Actors Guide to the End of the World Podcast, Episode 97!

It's Emmy's are here, and we go back into Hollywood history for a fun fact -  In the 1920s, MGM's Louis B. Mayer had a plan: distract Hollywood's talent with medals and trophies so they'd never organize. "The best way to handle moviemakers was to hang medals all over them," he said — and just like that, the Academy Awards were born, not to celebrate artists, but to keep them from unionizing. It worked... until it didn't, and the fallout led directly to the founding of...

Welcome to the Actors Guide to the End of the World Podcast, Episode 96!

This week, Ridley Scott said "I'm an influencer, not a filmmaker" — at 88 years old.  Seriously. We break down what he might have meant (spoiler: He's not getting on TikTok). He is releasing a new film this weekend "The Dog Stars" opening same weekend as success story "Coyote vs. Acme" — the Will Forte- John Cena film Warner Bros. tried to erase for a tax write-off in 2023, only for fan support and Ketchup Entertainment to rescue it. Two movies, same release weekend, wildly different journeys and we'll...

Welcome to the Actors Guide to the End of the World Podcast, Episode 95!

This week, E-Kan updates us on a little follow-up on all the "feelings" talk, and we go even deeper with a few stories that fit right in. Bill Nighy has a terrific story talking with a fellow actor and confessed, he wasn't feeling anything on stage, and has never understood what actors meant about "being in character."

The guys dig in and Rían talks about why that is so refreshing. 

Also, they dive into Kristen Stewart's controversial interview with th...

Welcome to the Actors Guide to the End of the World Podcast, Episode 94! It's another wild week in Hollywood, people. 

A Hollywood Reporter Op-Ed by Hollywood director Joseph Kahn has caused a stir, stating that the industry needs to "Bring back the Hollywood asshole"... E-Kan and Rían dig into this, and question if the reason for our industry's problems is because we need more people shouting in boardrooms. Another bold claim from the op-ed "If studios don't start making more movies about white guys in fighter jets, the box office won't cover the gardening bill"... Does Ho...

Welcome to the Actor’s Guide to the End of the World Podcast, Episode 93! Warning - we talk about our feelings this episode. Or in E-Kan’s case, lack of… We’re going deep on this one.

We start with a famous study on kids who loved drawing. One group was given a reward for their efforts, the other didn't. Guess which group eventually stopped drawing? This episode starts there — and turns it into a hard question for anyone chasing a creative career: are you doing this because you love it, or because you're chasing the reward? What happe...

Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World Podcast, Episode 92!

E-Kan and Rían have finally managed to get tickets to Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, which just broke box office records — but the translator whose work reportedly inspired the film says she'd be "ashamed" to have written any part of the script. The big question is- was she right? And how can we debate films without getting mean? 

We break down what worked (the practical effects are unreal — a 60-foot Cyclops puppet without CGI, a camera so massive it took two people to car...

Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World Podcast, Episode 91! 

This is a must listen if you're an actor - the Vertical Micro-drama boom has taken a turn...

China just produced 50,000 completely AI-generated shows in a single month — more than all of 2025 combined — and it's already gutting an industry that is supposed to be Hollywood's next big thing. We break down the current status of an industry that's estimated to be 4 billion in the US by 2030, and whether the same demise is coming for American sets next.

Also, the World Cup l...

Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World Podcast, episode 90! 

We're back after a small hiatus, and this one goes deeper than we expected.

Rían just did his first stage show in years — and we get into what actually changes when you go from screen to stage: no cuts, no second takes, and what it feels like when your scene partner drops their line. That story turns into something bigger — an honest conversation about the illusion of "planning" a career, why we changed our mind about a piece of advice we used t...

Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the Podcast, Episode 89! We will be getting back to brand new episode THIS WEEK - but until then, another throwback to our favorites.

Someone posted on Reddit: "13 years and it might be time to face reality." No breakout role. No big moment. Just years of almost. And the big question looms- am I wasting my time? What starts as one actor's crisis turned into a real, unfiltered conversation about doubt, delusional belief, and things get real. 

Along the way: incredible Jim Carrey story that'll change how y...

Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World Podcast, Episode 88!

This is another thematic episode- we all been there, it's just easier to quit than to keep pushing on. But this one is our favorite, most inspirational bits from actors and former guests from the other side - and why it's worth it. 

We start with the five words Denzel Washington told a struggling Delroy Lindo — advice that stuck for 48 years and this year he was nominated for an Oscar. Then former guest Mel Rodriguez takes us through the power of "delusional bel...

Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World Podcast, Episode 87!

This is another change of pace - Rían is busy in rehearsals for getting on stage, and    E-Kan is producing a series but have no fear, new recordings will be coming soon. Until then, this is a super mashup - unreleased segments and previous bits we feel are relevant to this week's topic - AI in Hollywood, but specifically with the many voices from celebrities and AI experts - who can we trust? 

Guillermo del Toro and Tilda Swinton loudly proclaimed at Ca...

Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World Podcast, Episode 86!

This is not a typical episode, but incredibly timely.

Last week, E-Kan and Rían dove into the viral story of the art director of "Obsession", a massive success that has taken over Hollywood. Sally Choi blows the whistle on low film crew rates and opens a very important conversation on the financial stability of the indie film industry. She made $300 a day, "Obsession" makes over $250 million. Is this fair? (Links to all the episodes below.)

So we wanted to b...

Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World Podcast, Episode 85!

E-Kan and Rían dive into the viral story of the art director of "Obsession", a massive success that has taken over Hollywood. Sally Choi blows the whistle on low film crew rates and it cut right to the heart of the dangers of independent film. Was her post misguided? 

They break down the post, what it means to "flip" the production, the tricky line of speaking your truth while being an independent artist, and what this might mean for independent film mo...

Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World Podcast, Episode 84! 

SAG-AFTRA just approved a new contract with a 91 percent approval rate — but only 19 percent of members voted. What does that level of disengagement actually say about where actors are right now? E-Kan and Rían fresh off an inspiring conversation with SAG-AFTRA board member and AI safety advocate Heather-Ashley Boyer, discuss - What can actors learn from her story of taking her frustration and taking action? 

Then the conversation shifts to what might be Hollywood's biggest wake-up call in years. YouTube filmmakers Kane...

Welcome to Episode 83 of The Actor's Guide to the End of the World!

Actor, producer, and  SAG-AFTRA LA Local Board Member and AI regulations and Technology guru Heather-Ashley Boyer joins E-Kan and Rían this week on the show.

Heather shares the pivotal moment during the Actor strike in 2023 and how that had led her to run for the Local Board of SAG-AFTRA and fight for AI Safety on the state and federal level in Sacramento and Washington DC at the United Nations.

They also dig into the fine print of the current SA...

E-Kan and Rían are just two working actors cutting through the noise of Hollywood — the real stories, the practical wisdom, and the occasional chaos of life on set. This week we're talking about the Grey's Anatomy Texas spin-off landing in LA — good news for production in a city that needs it.

Also some drama during the final show of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, a gut punch for the crew and their families. Family members of crew that were working for the network for 17 years were turned away at the taping... The guys get into what...

Apologies for the delay this week, but this was a monstrous episode and worth the wait.  The SAG-AFTRA deal is officially approved by the board and the 18 page summary got dropped. The vote is up in a few weeks - Actors, this is what you need to know before you vote.

This deal touches on many topics that affect union members and the acting community, including AI protections, and the pension and the health plan (which have made many members furious).

What points do the guys like about the contract? Is E-Kan going to go s...

The SAG-AFTRA deal is heading to a member vote — and before you cast yours, you need to hear this episode.

We recorded this before the SAG-AFTRA National Board approved the tentative agreement, which makes everything we break down here an essential primer for what actors are actually being asked to sign off on. The streaming bonus structure, the 90-day window, the $40 million that never materialized — we get into the mechanics of why actors had problems with the financial terms in the contract in 2023 and why that matters to actors TODAY.

The biggest questions: Did actors have...

Welcome to the Actor’s Guide to the End of the World Podcast, Episode 79!

E-Kan and Rían unpack some lessons of wisdom and inspiration from the conversation with Mel Rodriguez last week, including how he found balance in such a chaotic industry. From there, deep questions arise, like "Have you ever gotten to the breaking point of quitting acting?, "Do you feel like you're 'one foot in, one foot out' of acting?, and "Do you place too much of your self worth on your career?"

The guys also talk about the independent filmmaking spirit swe...

Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World Podcast, Episode 78 with special guest, Actor and Writer Mel Rodriguez (The Residence, Better Call Saul, Last Man On Earth).

E-Kan and Rían talk to the hilarious Mel Rodriguez who shares about his storied career, including the time he had to drive away from Hollywood with his wife when a phone call changed everything.  He landed the HBO cult favorite Getting On and turned things around. In this episode, Mel opens up about four seasons working alongside Will Forte on Last Man on Earth, how generous Bo...

Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World Podcast, episode 77!  This week we break down what's really happening to the working actor right now. 

Over 2000 filmmakers and actors including Pedro Pascal, Florence Pugh and David Fincher signed a petition to block the Paramount-Warner Bros merger. E-Kan and Rían discuss why Damon Lindelof's brutally honest post about why he was afraid to sign it — and did anyway.

Ben Affleck secretly built an AI company since 2022 and just sold it to Netflix for $600 million. We have the numbers — and they're not pretty for below-t...

Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World Podcast, Episode 76!

Holly Shervey and Emmett Skilton, friends of the show and the creative force behind “Crackhead”, the New Zealand hit series now streaming on HBO Max. The show, which Holly stars in and wrote while Emmett directed, is based on Holly’s personal experience in a psychiatric clinic early in her life and has been getting rave reviews, sitting at the top of the charts alongside “The Pitt” and “Euphoria”.

This episode, E-Kan and Rían get a treat and hear the entire journey, before...

Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World Podcast, Episode 75!

There is Jonathan Majors’ drama on his latest movie for, wait for it, Daily Wire..? Jonathan Majors and his costar fall through a window which highlights the importance of safety measures taken on set, labor rights, and sparks a larger conversation about working in today’s film industry. E-Kan and Rían dive into the drama, including a crew walk out and retaliation by the producers.

Meanwhile, we have a SAG-Aftra negotiations update and breaking news for the WGA (the writers guild) and w...

Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World Podcast, Episode 74! A Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube liable for knowingly designing addictive platforms that harmed children — and with 1,500 similar cases waiting in the wings, this verdict is just the beginning. E-Kan and Rían break down what it actually means, why this might be Big Tobacco all over again, and what actors need to know about it. 

Then — OpenAI quietly pulled the plug on Sora 2, their AI video platform, taking down a billion dollar Disney partnership with it. The guys will discuss why this i...

Welcome to the Actor’s Guide to the End of World, Episode 73!

E-Kan and Rían go DEEP this episode, and even talk affirmations and mindset. But before we go down the rabbit hole, we have word about a possible U.S. federal film tv tax credit. The guys will break down everything you need to know as well as why U.S. might need one, and what Noah Wyle has to say about it.

Meanwhile across the pond, UK just committed 9 billion in production just last year, and Ireland is booming with indie films, inc...

Sinners, PTA, and the Night Hollywood Got it Right...

Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World Podcast, Episode 72! The big night is here, and it lived up to all of our expectations.  Hollywood chose real filmmaking — and it was beautiful. E-Kan and Rían break down the biggest winners- Sinners, PTA, Frankenstein's practical effects sweep, as well as Conan's best bits, the speeches that stopped us cold, and how this Oscars made history like the first female cinematography winner and Best Casting Oscar.

Also, what this night means for actors and the...

Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World Podcast, episode 71! The Oscar race just flipped, and now Michael B. Jordan is now the favorite to beat Timothée Chalamet for Best Actor.  Was it Michael B. Jordan's win at the SAG Actor Awards or Chalamet's comments about ballet and opera? Both? We break down what he said, why it matters to Oscar voters, and the surprising family connection that makes it even more interesting.

E-Kan and Rían got the full betting odds breakdown across every major category, and our picks for who wins and...

Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World Podcast, Episode 70! Hollywood just got a whole lot smaller. The Paramount-Warner Bros.-Netflix drama is coming to a close with a stunning ending, and one company is about to own DC, Harry Potter, CNN, SpongeBob, the Sopranos, Game of Thrones, and countless other titles. E-Kan and Rían break down what a Paramount universe will actually means for actors,  creators, and beyond.

It's not a rosy picture for everyone- Stephen Colbert, who's ending his show this year under CBS, just got forced to pull an interview by...

Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World, episode 69! E-Kan and Rían recently stumbled on Ryan Coogler's deep appreciation for Irish culture, and they do a deep dive on how that comes through in his Oscar-nominated hit, Sinners, and why the lead vampire is Irish. They geek out on Ryan Coogler's beautiful DGA Awards speech, his families’ strong ties to unions, and why Sinners, which has been nominated for record breaking 16 nominations, is a masterpiece.

This episode also is a rare opportunity to honor some special immigrant stories, including Rían’s. E-Kan will s...

Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World Podcast, Episode 68!

Seedance 2.0, an AI video generator, just dropped new videos from the program and shots are fired. SAG-AFTRA immediately released their firmest statement yet declaring why it's infringement on its actors and stands by studios like Disney which has already sent cease-and-desist letters. E-Kan and  Rían break down why this AI feels different—because honestly, the Walter White videos look straight out of Breaking Bad, and so does the viral clip of Brad Pitt fighting Tom Cruise. Rían pushes back with the ultimate quest...

Welcome to the Actor’s Guide to the End of the World Podcast, episode 67! This week we have an extra-strong dose of actor inspiration. E-Kan shares how Denzel Washington and Delroy Lindo have been friends for 48 years since their acting conservatory, surviving on wheat bread and peanut butter, and how Denzel watched Delroy act in class and thought, “I need to get better." And after a conversation with Denzel helped Delroy fight off burn out, he’s now nominated for an Oscar.

E-Kan and Rían also dig into what life really is like in the self-tape era as...

Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World Podcast, episode 66! 
Vertical dramas are here, and they're not going anywhere. E-Kan and Rían talk about the $26 billion industry — but now, Kim Kardashian, Ashton Kutcher, and Taye Diggs are all in, as well as Netflix and TikTok building their own vertical dramas platforms. SAG-Aftra just put out a signatory contract so they can get in on it too. Will it be enough or will these mostly non-union dramas take over Hollywood?  And should actors do them? We break down the money, the risks, and a little tip S...

Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World, Episode 65! 

The Oscar nominations just dropped, and Sinners broke records with 16 nominations. E-Kan and Rían break down their favorites and top picks, but most interesting story - The guys diving into Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary casting debate.

The Shark Tank billionaire got cast in a major role for Oscar favorite Marty Supreme with zero experience, and many actors are furious. The guys have an honest conversation about stunt casting, the acting industry, and what can you learn about it. 

Then there's Mil...

Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World, Episode 64! E-Kan and Rían dive into some more awards shows stories (the bad ones). There is an unfortunate trend, award shows are disrespecting filmmakers like giving Best Foreign Language Film - on the red carpet...? And then the Golden Globes cuts Original Score winner, Ludwig Göransson for Sinners, from the telecast to the dismay of many, including all time great, Hans Zimmer. 

Also, this week, the iconic Radford Studio, where Seinfeld and Will & Grace were filmed, foreclosed, which is a shocking development that might jus...

Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World Podcast, Episode 63! The 2026 Golden Globes happened, and we break down the best moments and some misses, but the real story this award season is Timothée Chalamet's unapologetic pursuit of greatness—and whether Hollywood thinks he's brave or cringe. 

In a recent interview, he has said he’s doing "top level sh*t" and very open about his ambition, then he won the Critics Choice and Golden Globes over Leo DiCaprio, George Clooney, and Ethan Hawke. 

E-Kan and Rían break down what might be the n...