All Episodes
Take 13 - Writer Shawn Simmons, Wayne
Feb. 25, 2021
We talk to the extraordinary Shawn Simmons about his cult hit Wayne. He tells us about the rare occurrence of having his network cancelled under his show, the joy of a show being reborn on Amazon and the 'heat' of having a hit show. But he also explains about the expectation of failure amid the suc…
Take 12 - Writer Jeff Howard, Haunting of Hill House, Oculus, I Know What You did Last Summer
Feb. 18, 2021
We talk to horror writer Jeff Howard. He tells us about being rejected - with various levels of misfortune - by Nicolas Cage, John Stamos and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. He talks about the kiss of death 'well told', the desire for a quick 'no' and self-sabotaging a meeting by failing to read the roo…
Take 11 - Writer Robert Hewitt Wolfe, Star Trek, Alphas, Elementary
Feb. 11, 2021
Prodigious writer Robert Hewitt Wolfe joins the podcast. He talks honestly about missing out on his dream Lord of the Rings project, the amount of time spent continuously looking for his next role and his ratio of 8 failures for every success - meaning hundreds of rejections in his long career. He …
Take 10 - Actor and writer Geoffrey Thorne, In the Heat of the Night, Magnum PI
Feb. 1, 2021
We talk to actor and writer Geoffrey Thorne. The actor turned writer tells his extraordinary story of riches to rags and back to riches again. He talks about why he walked away from a successful acting career in In the Heat of Night, the people that doubted him, the desperate times of pretending to…
Take 9 - John Zaozirny, President of Bellevue Productions
Jan. 28, 2021
We talk to writer-turned-manager John Zaozirny, President of Bellevue Productions. He talks about his move from writing to management, stories of firing and being fired and why he loves the industry. John talks about being fired even when he has created success for his clients, the slow death of pr…
Take 8 - Actress Ann Cusack, The Boys, Sully, A League of Their Own
Jan. 21, 2021
We talk to the amazing Ann Cusack. She speaks honestly about the process of dealing with rejection, what she learned from the roles she didn’t get and the obsession with social media and the illusion of success. She talks about the under-rated importance of just being a nice person, working on harm…
Take 7 - Writer and showrunner Matthew Federman, Jericho, Blood and Treasure
Jan. 14, 2021
We talk to writer and showrunner Matthew Federman. He talks about how he runs a writing room and pro-actively solves problems, the mistakes he made pitching and what he's learned from brilliant bosses. He explains the slightly broken Hollywood hiring process, why he cares about his writers who work…
Take 6 - Screenwriter Grant Pierce Myers, The Maze Runner
Jan. 7, 2021
We talk to Maze Runner writer Grant Pierce Myers. He tells us about getting a movie green lit and being fired in a single phone call, the challenge of backing up a hit with a second success and the importance of courtesy among writers when you're brought on for a rewrite. He tells us about reading …
Take 5 - Writer and showrunner Sheryl J.Anderson, Sweet Magnolias, Charmed.
Dec. 28, 2020
We talk to the extraordinary Sheryl J. Anderson, veteran writer and showrunner. She tells us how 'famous, toxic' writers' rooms taught her how to lead her own show the right way, her regrets about not speaking up to protect women writers in her youth and the tremendous influence of her military fat…
Take 4 - Screenwriter Dan Hernandez, Detective Pikachu, the Tick and 1600 Penn.
Dec. 22, 2020
We talk to screenwriter Dan Hernandez. He tells us about how he handled the pressure of writing fan favorite Detective Pikachu, the big opportunities that got away in his career and going to high school with Josh Gad. He explains the benefits of being part of a writing duo, the importance of findin…
Take 3 - Actor Erik Palladino
Dec. 16, 2020
Actor Erik Palladino talks us through his rollercoaster career after 30 years in Hollywood. He tells us how his pilots never get picked up, the time he was told he had a job by his agent on a Friday and on the Monday they admitted they’d called the wrong person and how, as an older actor, he worrie…
Take 2 - Screenwriter Zack Stentz, Thor, X-Men First Class and Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous
Dec. 9, 2020
Screenwriter Zack Stentz gives an honest account of the tough world of Hollywood and what a writer has to go through to make it. He talks about the red carpet highs of Thor and X-Men First Class but then the long periods of struggling to get anything made. In a powerful and candid discussion he tal…
Take 1 - Screenwriter Adele Lim, Crazy Rich Asians and Raya and the Last Dragon
Dec. 2, 2020
We talk to Adele Lim, writer on Crazy Rich Asians and the new Disney movie Raya and the Last Dragon. She talks about her journey from TV to film and her struggles along the way. Adele tells us she wrote some of her best work while coping with the anger of pregnancy-related discrimination, the monst…
Prologue
Nov. 29, 2020
Your hosts Noah Evslin and Dan Rutstein explain what their new podcast is all about. Screaming into the Hollywood Abyss, is a podcast about failure, rejection and adversity in the entertainment industry. Seasoned Hollywood writer Noah and former diplomat and podcaster Dan take you on a journey thro…