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-the-line workers. The irony isn't lost on us either how his model is to focus on the humanity behind filmmaking.

To add to it, USC just launched an AI "institute" for actors. Who exactly is that serving and how is the youngest generation going to learn the craft?

And a practical real world story from an actor who showed up to an in-person callback only to realize the casting directors were Zooming in from another room down the hall as they stood alone in a room with a computer screen. It sparked a bigger question every actor needs to hear: How do you keep your power when the room gives you nothing?

The guys also dig into the power of "reverent irreverence", why you might not want to learn how to swim from

Michael Phelps, Robert Redford's advice for not gripping on to tight, and why E-Kan’s parents are the coolest.

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Hidden Gems:

Two Irish horror films - The Mummy, out now by Lee Cronin

Hokum, starring Adam Scott

Romanaccia Pizza (just opened in Hollywood, CA) @romanacciapizza