Show Notes
Join your host Ryan M. Perez and Daniel Bessner for Part Two of their conversation around Daniel's new book, IMPERIALIST REALISM. This time, the conversation turns from the decline of mass culture to the people trying to make a living inside the system replacing it.
Daniel examines what he describes as the "deindustrialization of white-collar work," and why the instability consuming Hollywood may be part of a much larger transformation of American working life. They discuss the disappearance of the middle, mass layoffs, AI, the economics of user-generated content, and why even people who made all the "right" career choices are discovering that stability is increasingly difficult to find.
Ryan and Daniel also dig into what this means specifically for actors and artists. There used to be ways to structure a life around pursuing creative work, even without becoming a star. What happens when the day jobs disappear, the middle of the entertainment industry contracts, and stability increasingly becomes a privilege reserved for people who already have money?
Finally, they turn toward possible solutions: using technology in service of people rather than against them, reconsidering old political playbooks, and asking whether ideas like a robust universal basic income for artists could help preserve creative careers in a radically changing economy. Part Two of our conversation with Daniel Bessner asks a bigger question: if the old structures of work are no longer capable of providing stability, what should replace them?
https://imperialistrealism.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from An Actor Despairs
Join your host Ryan M. Perez and guest Ever Carradine as they discuss growing up in one of Hollywood's most recognizable acting families, finding her own path in the entertainment industry, navigating rejection and the unpredictable nature of an acting career, her work on Party of Five, Commander in Chief, Marvel's Runaways, and The Handmaid's Tale, the challenges of balancing motherhood and acting, the changing audition process, and the increasingly difficult reality of sustaining a career as a working actor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Join your host Ryan M. Perez and guests Daniel Bessner and Neal Bledsoe for Part One of a wide-ranging conversation centered around Daniel's new book, IMPERIALIST REALISM.
Join your host Ryan M. Perez as he sits down with actor and producer Jefferson White, known for Yellowstone, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, Civil War, and The Americans, to discuss his unlikely journey from growing up in Iowa without imagining acting could ever be a career to becoming part of one of television’s biggest shows.
Join your host Ryan M. Perez as he sits down with actor, producer, and entrepreneur Theo Rossi, known for Sons of Anarchy, Luke Cage, Emily the Criminal, The Penguin, and Army of the Dead, for an honest conversation about how the entertainment industry has evolved since the pandemic. Theo reflects on how Emily the Criminal reshaped his career, led to opportunities like The Penguin, and renewed his perspective on acting and storytelling.
Part 1 of 2: Join your host Ryan M. Perez as he sits down with actor, producer Theo Rossi, known for Sons of Anarchy, Luke Cage, Emily the Criminal, and Army of the Dead, to discuss his journey from growing up in Staten Island to becoming one of Hollywood's most recognizable character actors. In this first installment, Theo opens up about his childhood, overcoming addiction, discovering acting by chance, studying the craft with relentless intensity, moving to Los Angeles, hustling through countless jobs while chasing his dream, and the breakthrough moments that changed his life forever. The conversation also explores the realities of rejection, building a sustainable career, navigating the changing entertainment industry, and why success in Hollywood is as much about business, relationships, and perseverance as it is about talent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.