I think when you see people on the big screen, especially actors, it’s easy to assume that they’re rich, famous, and have it easy.
But what’s hiding behind the curtain in Hollywood is often a lot of struggles and battles to stay relevant and stay on top.
In a recent interview, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Paul Walter Hauser (Black Bird, Balls Out) shared a candid look at the unpredictable nature of a high-level acting career and the highs and lows of the profession.
This is stuff everyone who wants to be involved in Hollywood should understand.
Let’s dive in.
– YouTube www.youtube.com
The “Mustard Stain” on the Nice Shirt
First and foremost, Hauser just seems like a fun interview. We gotta get him on the No Film School podcast.
In the clip, he reflects on a year where he had five movies released, yet none of them followed the trajectory he thought, and that kind of unpredictability is sort of par for the course out here.
Even in a massive production like Fantastic Four, Hauser reveals that half of his scenes were cut, so the role wound up being closer to a cameo than a supporting one.
And some projects, like the Springsteen biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere, didn’t receive the reception he anticipated.
That can take a toll on you emotionally, but you know you have to work again ASAP to stay relevant. So you take a role like Americana, but then that didn’t get the wide rollout or momentum they hoped.
I actually think that movie was good and that you should seek it out, but I digress.
“Even at the height of your career, it’s still not going to be whatever you’re thinking it’s going to be,” Hauser warns. “You can be wearing the nicest shirt but still get that mustard stain on it.”
So, how do you stay positive and also find the energy to keep up with the grind?
For Hauser, the value lies in the journey and the connection. To me, that’s the real lesson I think we all have to take away from all of this stuff.
When you get on a project, look around you. There is real joy in meeting 80 new people on a set and going on a creative journey together.
And look, exposure is good. You get your face and work out there for people to recognize.
Those rewards can keep you going.
Another thing I think is important is this quote from Hauser: “The only thing you can control is how you respond to it, how you treat people, and your performance.”
Summing It All Up
To me, the moral of this whole thing is to just find the win in the process. Maybe even trust the process.
Whether you’re on a multi-million dollar Marvel set or a micro-budget indie, the community you build and the effort you put into your craft are the only things that truly belong to you.
So, treat them well and find joy in it.
Let me know what you think in the comments.
