Notes on Hollywood
An Oscar-Night Diary: The Kenergy Was Palpable
“Barbie” received only one award, but the ceremony—and even the after-parties—brimmed with a simple ebullience.
By Michael Schulman
Can You Really Want an Oscar Too Much?
It’s the ultimate paradox of campaigning: an actor must somehow be dedicated but not try-hard, authentic but not award-hungry.
By Michael Schulman
The Oscars Are Confused About “Barbie”
In snubbing the film’s central voices—Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie—the Academy continues its tense relationship with blockbusters.
By Michael Schulman
Hollywood Faces Its Post-Strike Future
The town can get back to work, but there is a lot of uncertainty in the air.
By Michael Schulman
Joy in Los Angeles as the Writers Reach a Tentative Deal
A strike captain reflects on the emotional highs and lows of five months on the picket lines.
By Michael Schulman
Scenes from Hollywood’s Hot Labor Summer
A bartender, a background actor, a shrink, a hair stylist—a psychic inventory of a city in stasis.
By Michael Schulman
“Orange Is the New Black” Signalled the Rot Inside the Streaming Economy
The innovative and daring show was a worldwide hit for Netflix, but some of the actors say that they were never fairly compensated.
By Michael Schulman
Should Actors Be Paid for Auditions?
The streaming era has placed new burdens on actors to tape themselves, and an oft-forgotten clause in the SAG contract states that actors should be compensated for this work.
By Michael Schulman
Why Are TV Writers So Miserable?
On the cusp of a potential strike, writers explain why no one is having much fun making television anymore.
By Michael Schulman
An Oscar-Night Diary: Hollywood Enjoys the Chaos-Free Vibes
The feeling in the room was one of cozy normality; it was “the Joe Biden of Oscars.”
By Michael Schulman