People across the entertainment industry rolled up their sleeves to get back to work after the strikes by writers and actors ended last year. Instead of taking off like a rocket, however, production has been slow to resume, yielding little to no job opportunities and taking a toll on workers’ mental health.
Matthew Cwern, a working actor who has appeared in “The Blacklist,” “NCIS: Los Angeles” and “Dynasty,” has experienced this firsthand.
At the 20-year mark in his career in 2022, Cwern felt happy with the recurring acting opportunities and his successful side hustle of helping actors film audition tapes.
The following year, the quality and frequency of auditions Cwern was getting for his own roles gradually diminished before bottoming out. He also had a sharp decline in the number of clients he was assisting with self-taping.
Cwern has dealt with depression most of his life, but those feelings were exacerbated during the strike because he wasn’t around others on a production, couldn’t act, and for the first time had to seek financial assistance to purchase food.
He said the reality of his situation — that having years of experience and a good resume wasn’t enough to land a role for reasons out of his control — “was really hard for me to accept.”
“It’s very hard to find another industry that matches the unpredictability that comes with the entertainment industry,” said Michael Wetter, clinical psychologist.
Rejection is common, and temporary periods of unemployment between projects aren’t unheard of, Wetter said, but there was always an opportunity in the film or TV business to pursue. That doesn’t hold true now.
This uncertainty is weighing on Amber Haley, a set decorator for productions such as “Insecure,” “Barry” and “Modern Family.” She’s been able to interview for only three shows in the last 15 months, all projects she didn’t land.
Left without a project, Haley’s team members haven’t been able to meet their basic needs, and “it wears on me,” she told The Times. Haley said she feels responsible for finding a job so that her crew don’t lose their homes, cars and livelihoods.
