Welcome to Episode 17 of the Actor's Guide to the End of the World!

Maya Hawke's comments about Instagram and social media have sent shockwaves through the acting community and Hollywood, shining a light on the state of the industry and asking the big question - do actors have to be on social media? E-Kan and Rían dig into the power of social media, their love hate relationship with it, and the hard truth actors need to face - but also uncover the brighter side and how this might not be as bad as it sounds. And if you’re an actor not on social media, this episode might change your mind. On the flip side, E-Kan mentions some things that actors can learn from the YouTubers and some telling signs of how the industry embraces them even more with high profile projects as well as why fame is more ambiguous than ever right now. And coincidentally, Rian will finally find out who Mr. Beast is. The icing on the cake? Ethan Hawke's comments about all this was HILARIOUS. You’re not going to want to miss this.

They also get into the hidden world of financing an Oscar campaign and how much it really costs to win an Oscar. Is it worth it? They get into what goes on behind the scenes, the many rules and regulations controlling how you campaign and what you can and cannot say. Listen and you’ll find out the moment in history when Oscar campaigns really became a thing. And if that wasn't enough, Brady Corbet, award winning director of Oscar favorite "The Brutalist" reveals he made zero dollars for making the movie and shoots commercials to pay the bills.

This gets the guys onto the interesting balance between making money and pursuing your creative ambitions. E-Kan shares why he thinks he has been so successful in the commercial world and gives insight on the power of mindset, and Rían shares a cool metaphor for building new neural pathways he learned from Lesly Kahn. This is going to be a good one, folks.

New episodes every Monday! All shows are on YouTube and Substack as well! Let us know what you think. Email us at actorsguidepodcast@gmail.com. Follow us on all social media @actorsguidepodcast

https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/maya-hawke-producers-cast-actors-instagram-followers-1236309282/

https://variety.com/2025/film/festivals/ethan-hawke-casting-actors-based-instagram-followers-crazy-1236312855/

https://variety.com/2025/film/awards/the-brutalist-brady-corbet-no-money-1236311496/

https://deadline.com/2023/10/oscars-campaign-fees-rising-1235585681/

Hidden Gems:

White House (Baldoyle) -http://thewhitehousebarandfood.com/

Nobel Prize Winner - Harvard Professor William Lipscomb

Time stamps:

(00:00) Intro

(03:40) Maya Hawke and Instagram

(11:30) Why this is a trap for actors

(13:40) Do actors need to be on social media?

(15:30) What are the best practices for actors and Instagram?

(16:30) They've been doing this forever

(20:30) Studios are starting to invest in Influencers

(25:20) What Ethan Hawke had to say about it

(27:40) How much does an Oscar campaign cost?

(29:45) Brady Corbet made zero dollars on The Brutalist

(34:00) The mindset traps for actors and building new neural pathways

(41:00) When Oscar campaigns became a thing

(43:00) Hidden Gems