For this Hollywood writer, the upcoming Emmys underscore the industry's uncertainties

Topline:

With the Emmys on Sunday night, this tale of a writer who works on an Emmy-nominated series is a poignant look at the current precarity that has come to define Hollywood in 2024. Even with success, this person is still worried about the tides turning once again and their career suffering a setback.

Why it matters: In entertainment, particularly if you’re a writer, you may work for a period, and then you might have a dry spell where you’re making no money. At a time when the whole business is in flux, though, that problem has only gotten worse, leaving many writers and other Hollywood professionals alike waiting for the other shoe to drop even as they’re experiencing success.

An ephemeral gig : Despite going from tending bar in 2023 to making $220,000 this year, this particular writer explains how the job “doesn’t really feel real.” Instead, it comes off very ephemeral and leaves them feeling anxious about their financial security. So, they opted for a house on three acres of the Midwest in addition to an L.A. apartment they sublet.

After the big break : When you work on a show that’s up for awards, you may then find yourself in demand for other series. But this writer is frustrated by a series of “fake jobs” that they call “really expensive R&D.” Few shows actually get made, so the development process on new ones can feel particularly fruitless.

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This story is published in partnership with The Ankler , a paid subscription publication about the entertainment industry.