19. The acting industry outlook for 2026 + in rooms and on sets in January...we're BACK!

We're back to break down the current state of the acting industry after sitting in on a closed-door TM only “state of the union” style call with casting.

We share what we expected to hear going into the call, + what actually surprised us.

Then our real-life working actor moments, including callbacks, Zoom auditions, eating on camera, voiceover marathons, and the absolute chaos of trying to plan anything in this business and/or life.

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Timestamps:

00:00:00 Intro and why we’re calling this a “state of the union”

00:02:10 What we expected to hear vs what casting actually said

00:04:45 The 400 scripted shows number and why that messed with our heads

00:08:30 Why optimism doesn’t automatically mean fast momentum

00:11:50 Feeling closer to the work even when you’re not booking

00:14:30 Callback stories and what “on first refusal” actually feels like

00:18:20 Eating on camera, SAG rules, and why some auditions have to be in person

00:22:10 Zoom auditions, casting notes, and how to keep it conversational

00:27:40 Why none of our calendars make sense and never will

00:33:15 Voiceover runs, commercial callbacks, and overlapping timelines

00:40:10 What this year requires emotionally from working actors

00:47:30 Final thoughts and what we’ll report back on next episode