The Actor’s Guide to the End of the World

actorsguidepodcast
  • 5.0 (13)
  • Performing Arts
  • Updated Weekly

Two actors, E-Kan Soong and Rían Sheehy Kelly talk acting and Hollywood in a way people understand. Dive into the most interesting headlines you need to know from the ever changing Hollywood industry as they share hilarious stories and insights from on set and off, and find joy along the ride. Frank, informative, and entertaining conversations for those in and out of the industry. All the world’s a stage, and this stage is on fire... but you know E-Kan and Rian are going to have a laugh either way. Watch and listen to new episodes every Monday wherever you find your podcasts! Follow @actorsguidepodcast on all social media, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Substack for all the best moments from the show. Follow E-Kan @ekansoong and Rían @riansheehykelly on Instagram

  1. 3d ago

    Is Method Acting Just a "Man Thing"? Kristen Stewart and Anya Taylor-Joy Have Some Thoughts

    Welcome to the Actors Guide to the End of the World Podcast, Episode 95! This week, E-Kan updates us on a little follow-up on all the "feelings" talk, and we go even deeper with a few stories that fit right in. Bill Nighy has a terrific story talking with a fellow actor and confessed, he wasn't feeling anything on stage, and has never understood what actors meant about "being in character." The guys dig in and Rían talks about why that is so refreshing.  Also, they dive into Kristen Stewart's controversial interview with the New York Times, when she poses a question directed at the macho, chest-beating rituals some male actors perform before emotional scenes, "Have you ever heard of a female Method actor?"  This has many layers, and the guys go into a dive on what actors think and don't think "Method acting" is... Lastly, Anya Taylor-Joy puts her two cents in from an interview earlier this year, and argues, "women rarely get to "lose their minds" in the method-acting sense because they don't have the luxury — they can't afford to be difficult on set and have things to do." One of the big questions at the end of all this - is the whole mythology of Method acting actually an excuse for male actors to behave badly? Stick to the end and you'll hear why the guys admit this industry is "embarassing" and how Maya Hawke believes "All actresses are a little more than a woman, but male actors are a little less than a man." For actors, this is a real conversation about process, ego, and what's actually required to do the job - and demythologizes all the headlines that are made just to sell tickets.  Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ActorsGuidePod New episodes every week! Follow @actorsguidepodcast wherever you find your podcasts. Please like, follow, review, and rate if you can. @ekansoong @ríansheehykelly Show Links-  Bill Nighy on "getting into character" - https://www.instagram.com/reel/Db3elZusAq7 Daniel Day Lewis speaks out - https://variety.com/2025/film/news/daniel-day-lewis-method-acting-easy-target-anemone-1236540269/ Kristen Stewart on Method Acting, NYT - https://www.nytimes.com/video/podcasts/100000010575526/kristen-stewart-on-men-and-method-acting.html Tom Hardy on "method acting" - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/6LbfHHFxW9k Edward Norton- https://www.instagram.com/reels/DcRhM7ORUnp/ Anya Taylor Joy - Women can't be "out of their minds" - https://variety.com/2026/film/news/anya-taylor-joy-women-method-act-assholes-set-1236826424/ Maya Hawke on male actors - https://youtube.com/shorts/dB74AL208NM?si=nuEZZTy_HgrPGk47 Hidden Gems:  US Open Fan Week (tennis, NYC) "Big Chicken" Netflix food documentary - https://www.netflix.com/title/81920949 Time Stamps: (00:00) Intro (01:12) A revelation about feelings (04:07) Bill Nighy talks about being in character (06:10) The relief you don’t need to feel (07:58) Kristen Stewart and Men Method Actors (12:05) The misconceptions of Method Actors (14:37) The mystique of method acting (16:00) Is “acting” submissive? (18:08) Brando vs DeNiro - Which one is “method”? (22:40) Tom Hardy on method acting (24:11) What works best for us (28:01) Anya-Taylor Joy says “women don’t method act” (32:48) “Male actors are a little less than a man” (34:10) Acting is very embarrassing (37:36) Hidden Gems

  2. Aug 20

    David Ellison Threatens to Take Paramount out of California

    Welcome to the Actors Guide to the End of the World Podcast, Episode 94! It's another wild week in Hollywood, people.  A Hollywood Reporter Op-Ed by Hollywood director Joseph Kahn has caused a stir, stating that the industry needs to "Bring back the Hollywood a*****e"... E-Kan and Rían dig into this, and question if the reason for our industry's problems is because we need more people shouting in boardrooms. Another bold claim from the op-ed "If studios don't start making more movies about white guys in fighter jets, the box office won't cover the gardening bill"... Does Hollywood needs its monsters back? That also brings us to an update on the Paramount-Skydance Warner Bros Discovery merger. The latest - David Ellison threatens to take Paramount out of California. So let's just say it's not going well. Is this merger even going to happen? Is that a good thing it won't? The guys also discuss why California has a responsibility to keep the industry here too.  And for a sliver of hope, none other than Seth Rogen, whose NY Times interview has shed a lot of insight on the current industry from someone who would know a thing or too. One stunning revelation - how making a movie like they did with Superbad would never happen today, and how gun shy and risk averse Hollywood really is. This is the real wisdom for filmmakers and storytellers alike.  Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ActorsGuidePod New episodes every week! Follow @actorsguidepodcast wherever you find your podcasts. Please like, follow, review, and rate if you can. @ekansoong @ríansheehykelly https://variety.com/2026/film/news/goodbye-to-hollywood-paramount-california-exit-david-ellison-1236837300/ https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/17/paramount-bond-merger-delay-costs.html https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/bring-back-hollywood-a*****e-joseph-kahn-column-1236653278/ Seth Rogen Interview- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kt11UnYXzCw HIDDEN GEMS: Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge https://www.cedarrun.org/ Sleep earplugs -  https://a.co/d/07kgQE6T Sleep eye mask - Super Sunnies  Time Stamps:  (00:00) Intro (01:03) Paramount threatens to leave California (04:23) The shocking size of Paramount if merger happens (05:05) Paramount also asks for a 1.1 billion dollar bond (06:44) Is it possible to take Hollywood out of Hollywood? (09:25) The responsibility on California to keep Hollywood (12:12) Bring Back the Hollywood A*****e (14:34) The tension between the creative and the executive (15:34) The executive's job is to make money (17:20) Nobody knows anything (20:09) If you wanted to be a creative, why did you become an executive? (22:57) Seth Rogen's NY Times Interview (22:38) How Rogen creates his characters and drives his story (24:47) How movies aren't made like they were before (28:34) The daunting reality of being a crab on the sea floor (31:11) Hidden Gems

  3. Aug 13

    "Feelings Are Stupid" — Thoughts vs. Feelings

    Welcome to the Actor’s Guide to the End of the World Podcast, Episode 93! Warning - we talk about our feelings this episode. Or in E-Kan’s case, lack of… We’re going deep on this one. We start with a famous study on kids who loved drawing. One group was given a reward for their efforts, the other didn't. Guess which group eventually stopped drawing? This episode starts there — and turns it into a hard question for anyone chasing a creative career: are you doing this because you love it, or because you're chasing the reward? What happens when external validation makes you forget why you wanted to do it in the first place?  Then E-Kan and Rían dig into what "effortless" acting actually looks like on-camera, and why the second something feels performed, audiences can tell — even if they don't know why. Also a genius note from terrific photographer Matt Kallish that helped Rían during his headshot session. The guys talk about meditation after Rían shares his experience at a Transcendental Meditation workshop, which leads to E-Kan's confession- he thinks “feelings are stupid” and even drops a Marcus Aurelius quote : “The happiness of life depends on the quality of your thoughts.”  The guys then go into a deep discussion, do people and creatives get wrapped up in our feelings too much and as E-Kan puts it, "do more harm than good"?  Stick to the end and you’ll hear why visualization doesn’t actually work…unless you do one key thing. You're not ready for this one, ya'll. Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ActorsGuidePod New episodes every week! Follow @actorsguidepodcast wherever you find your podcasts. Please like, follow, review, and rate if you can. @ekansoong @ríansheehykelly Kid’s Drawing Study (Over-justification Effect) https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-overjustification-effect-2795386   https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/overjustification-effect   HIDDEN GEMS: Mark Manson’s Solved Podcast (Confidence) - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-build-confidence-solved/id1247526593?i=1000774972880 Oettingen study on Visualizations - https://www.simplypsychology.com/articles/visualization-techniques-psychology Smell Scents - https://ausflowers.com.au/en-us?srsltid=AfmBOoqOdQFd_zx3UNCFeACVu0SPkK6eVmFllhyw_QKXypbcjlzlWs51 Time Stamps: (00:00) Intro (01:08) Over-justification Effect (05:07) Acting Industry is not a meritocracy (06:11) Insights from a Great Headshot Photographer (09:53) If it feels like acting, it’s off (10:36) It’s never been about the money (13:00) Actors don’t get paid to act, they get paid to wait (13:47) Rían tries a transcendental meditation workshop (18:15) Feelings are stupid (22:07) You’ll never be able to control your emotions (23:20) The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts (25:20) E-Kan does have feelings (27:50) Some actors are debilitated by their feelings (29:40) Feelings are a byproduct of our thoughts (31:30) Learning to not be pulled around by our feelings (37:26) Aphantasia - When you can’t remember images, only feelings (40:00) Hidden Gems

  4. Aug 6

    Odyssey Translator Trashes Nolan's Film — Was She Right? Plus: A Casting Director Roundtable You Need to Hear

    Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World Podcast, Episode 92! E-Kan and Rían have finally managed to get tickets to Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, which just broke box office records — but the translator whose work reportedly inspired the film says she'd be "ashamed" to have written any part of the script. The big question is- was she right? And how can we debate films without getting mean?  We break down what worked (the practical effects are unreal — a 60-foot Cyclops puppet without CGI, a camera so massive it took two people to carry) and what didn't. Was it all spectacle and no soul? Then: we listened a casting director panel featuring the top CDs in the industry and got real talk on the state of the industry and era of self tapes - where we are, and where we hope to be. Keep listening - you'll a bomb drop how actors are reportedly using AI to manipulate their audition slates. We don't know what they're hiding, but we have theories. Movie stars, myth, and a little bit of Hollywood chaos. Press play. Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ActorsGuidePod New episodes every week! Follow @actorsguidepodcast wherever you find your podcasts. Please like, follow, review, and rate if you can. @ekansoong @ríansheehykelly Show Links: The Odyssey behind the scenes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cTZ-Pa9vho Emily Wilson trashes the odyssey https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v48/n14/emily-wilson/an-uncomplicated-man Vulture- it feels so good to fight about the classics - https://www.vulture.com/article/the-critics-it-feels-good-to-fight-about-the-odyssey.html The Actor Podcast w/ Risa Bramon Garcia's - Casting Roundtable- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-62-casting-virtual-roundtable-cds-tell-it-like-it-is/id1203009952?i=1000777254691 Hidden Gems:  Turtle Nest Preservation site - https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?layerId=0&layers=9ba9a722b6a644d99016d0b23cbbda3f Save the Cat screenwriting book- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49464.Save_the_Cat Time Stamps:  (00:00) Intro (01:20) The Odyssey First Reactions (07:00) Did it meet the hype? (13:30) Odyssey Translator's critical review of the film (19:08) 8 actors passed on Matt Damon's role (23:30) The Odyssey cinematic achievements were incredible (25:30) Top Casting Director Roundtable  (30:00) CD's we want to get back to the room as well (35:00) Sometimes you can't get actionable direction from casting directors (35:55) Casting Directors talk with each other (41:00) Actors are using AI to manipulate their slates (46:00) Actors and Casting Directors are just looking for filmmakers (46:40) "I can make anyone beautiful. I can't make you talented." (48:25) The power of being in the room (51:40) Hidden Gems

  5. Jul 30

    50,000 AI Shows Were Produced in One Month — and the Industry Is Collapsing

    Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World Podcast, Episode 91!  This is a must listen if you're an actor - the Vertical Micro-drama boom has taken a turn... China just produced 50,000 completely AI-generated shows in a single month — more than all of 2025 combined — and it's already gutting an industry that is supposed to be Hollywood's next big thing. We break down the current status of an industry that's estimated to be 4 billion in the US by 2030, and whether the same demise is coming for American sets next. Also, the World Cup last month left us with a lot of feelings, mostly E-Kan, the ignorant and new football fan. Rían, football player and fan, gives his perspective on what E-Kan calls a "classless" final, and how he didn't sleep the night of the World Cup final.  And of course, we tease The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan's monstrous hit that we can't wait to talk about, until Rían can finally get an IMAX ticket in Los Angeles. Stick around and you'll here which is the very best theater in Los Angeles to see it.  Keeping culture alive in a ever changing entertainment landscape, welcome to the party.  Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ActorsGuidePod New episodes every week! Follow @actorsguidepodcast wherever you find your podcasts. Please like, follow, review, and rate if you can. @ekansoong @ríansheehykelly Show Links: Previous episodes on Vertical Micro-dramas -  Episode 66 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaQ5fYktOK8 audio - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/%2426-billion-taye-diggs-and-the-vertical-drama-takeover/id1776516950?i=1000747822418 Dante Rusciolelli Vertical Drama video -https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ_AFBOyS3W/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==   The Wrap makes a spoof vertical drama for $150- https://www.thewrap.com/industry-news/tech/off-campus-ai-microdrama-see-the-results-storeel/ Vertical Dramas used AI to put actors in sexual situations - https://www.businessinsider.com/actors-sexualized-fake-ads-promote-micro-dramas-tiktok-meta-2026-5   Hidden Gems:  Matt Kallish photographer - @mattkallish Emily Wilson's The Odyssey translation- https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393089053?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback Time Stamps:  (00:00) Intro (01:24) The World Cup Drama (07:41) The Odyssey  (08:49) The best theater to watch The Odyssey in LA (10:17) Launching The Odyssey Book Club (11:50) The Vertical Drama might... bust? (13:12) SAG Contracts for the Verticals are a problem (19:05) Shows are putting their actors in sex scenes using AI (19:40) China produced 50,000 shows using AI in one month (20:49) Famous Chinese actor leaves industry to sell vegetables  (23:31) The industry is becoming unsustainable (24:48) Reporter makes a micro-drama for $150 using AI (27:00) Hidden Gems

  6. Jul 23

    What'd He Do If Money Was No Object? Not What I Expected.

    Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World Podcast, episode 90!  We're back after a small hiatus, and this one goes deeper than we expected. Rían just did his first stage show in years — and we get into what actually changes when you go from screen to stage: no cuts, no second takes, and what it feels like when your scene partner drops their line. That story turns into something bigger — an honest conversation about the illusion of "planning" a career, why we changed our mind about a piece of advice we used to swear by, and what it means to actually be in service of the work instead of the other way around. Then comes the big question: E-Kan and Rían answer what if money and time weren't an issue, what would you actually be doing with your life? The answer wasn't what either of us expected..  Funny, honest, and always full of surprises. Welcome back. Did you know we're in Season 2 of the show? And we have new ways to support the podcast! Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ActorsGuidePod New episodes every week! Follow @actorsguidepodcast wherever you find your podcasts. Please like, follow, review, and rate if you can. @ekansoong @ríansheehykelly Show Links: Ethan Hawke interview- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B34ncZbahw Shaan Sharma episode- ep 45 - youtube.com/watch?v=tVcU1eMet00&feature=youtu.be Distress Signals Project - https://www.instagram.com/distresssignalsproject/ Hidden Gems: Young Playwrights Festival - https://www.theblank.com/ypf LA Compost at Sherman Oaks Farmers Market- https://www.lacompost.org/events-1/y88ptsz8dhxmsty-4nfpe-y3dbe-jdbwr-6px5h-tzwjy-bxrk4-jzjz6-4wh2z   Time stamps:  (00:00) Intro (01:13) Getting back on stage after 20 years (05:00) Dealing with a short rehearsal process (06:00) Working with the best young playwrights in the country (09:22) Constructing your career is an illusion (10:25) This is the best environment we love to work in (16:09) Ethan Hawke and being in service to the art (18:43) Does focusing an acting career need a balance? (21:15) We never know how good we have it (23:18) What adjustments did you need to make on stage? (25:25) Handling dropping your lines on stage (27:05) What would you do with your life if money was no object? (37:31) Hidden Gems

  7. Jul 16

    Don't Quit Before the Miracle Happens - The Actor's Mindset Reset

    Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the Podcast, Episode 89! We will be getting back to brand new episode THIS WEEK - but until then, another throwback to our favorites. Someone posted on Reddit: "13 years and it might be time to face reality." No breakout role. No big moment. Just years of almost. And the big question looms- am I wasting my time? What starts as one actor's crisis turned into a real, unfiltered conversation about doubt, delusional belief, and things get real.  Along the way: incredible Jim Carrey story that'll change how you think about writing your own future, an honest admission of "am I even good at this," and another great reminder how any small job or audition can turn into something much larger. Then E-Kan's recent conversation with a Lyft driver inspires him and sparks an incredible lesson learned in one of our favorite bits from Episode 10 where we talk about the "super power" to balancing the side hustle with our creative passion that  Silicon Valley figured out that most actors never do. But of course it's not as easy as it sounds. Also you'll hear why Rían used to hate the phrase "I'm living the life beyond my wildest dreams.." but not anymore. If you've ever needed a reminder that the no's don't get the last word — this one's for you. All full episode links below.  Did you know we're in Season 2 of the show? And we have new ways to support the podcast! Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ActorsGuidePod New episodes every week! Follow @actorsguidepodcast wherever you find your podcasts. Please like, follow, review, and rate if you can. @ekansoong @ríansheehykelly Show Links: Reddit Post episode- #61 - youtube.com/watch?v=dxUrrb1BRS4&feature=youtu.be Audio - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/an-actors-crisis-when-is-it-actually-time-to-give-up/id1776516950?i=1000743246046 Silicon Valley episode - Episode #10 -Video -youtube.com/watch?v=GYmTk39YFUU&feature=youtu.be https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/affleck-ai-and-the-secret-to-juggling-your-side-hustle/id1776516950?i=1000682170883 Time Stamps:  (00:00) Intro (01:24) Reddit Post that started it all - Should I give up? (05:12) Don't Quit Before The Miracle Happens (11:46) What is out of our control as an actor? (15:10) Waiting is the worst (19:00) The Best Jim Carrey Story (23:52) The Question is the Problem (26:29) The small audition that led to working opposite Brad Pitt (27:44) The Uber Driver's daughter inspired E-Kan (30:03) Not expecting your art to pay for your life (30:47) This Silicon Valley hack would make actors unstoppable (36:50) E-Kan's father was embarrassed he was an actor (39:01) Desi Lydic didn't put her life on hold for Daily Show (41:43) Rían used to hate the phrase "Living Beyond Your Wildest Dreams

  8. Jul 8

    What It Actually Takes for Actors to Not Give Up

    Welcome to the Actor's Guide to the End of the World Podcast, Episode 88! This is another thematic episode- we all been there, it's just easier to quit than to keep pushing on. But this one is our favorite, most inspirational bits from actors and former guests from the other side - and why it's worth it.  We start with the five words Denzel Washington told a struggling Delroy Lindo — advice that stuck for 48 years and this year he was nominated for an Oscar. Then former guest Mel Rodriguez takes us through the power of "delusional belief" (his words), the wild, almost-too-crazy-to-be-true life changing story where everything changed for him, and the personal fitness transformation that came after.  We also get into what it really means to "own the room" in the digital age of acting— including some wisdom passed down through Jacob Elordi (yes our favorite Jacob), Robert Redford's blunt advice on the secret to having a long acting career, and why you don't want to emulate Michael Phelps if you want to learn to swim. And we close on the power of damaging limiting beliefs, a gem from Colman Domingo - how Rían and E-Kan battled doubt, and how "5,000 Yellowstones and not enough of Asians on TV" turned into E-Kan "making my own." If you need a reminder that the no's don't get the last word — this one's for you. All full episode links below.  Did you know we're in Season 2 of the show? And we have new ways to support the podcast! Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ActorsGuidePod New episodes every week! Follow @actorsguidepodcast wherever you find your podcasts. Please like, follow, review, and rate if you can. @ekansoong @ríansheehykelly Denzel's advice to Delroy Lindo - Episode #67)- Video - https://studio.youtube.com/video/qjqA9_jIYnw/edit Audio - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/denzel-told-him-dont-quit-48-years-ago-now-hes-oscar/id1776516950?i=1000749164995 Mel Rodriguez's Episode #78 - Video- https://youtu.be/4zxSzGYkjfI Audio - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/will-forte-bob-odenkirk-and-why-he-almost-left/id1776516950?i=1000764213545   Audition Mindset - Episode #77 - Video- https://youtu.be/UUVrDszSXPw Audio - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/how-to-own-your-audition-when-the-room-gives-you-nothing/id1776516950?i=1000763018694 Limiting Beliefs - Episode #73 -Video - https://youtu.be/UfozV6YTktI https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/these-beliefs-held-my-acting-career-back-for-years/id1776516950?i=1000757217259   Time Stamps:  (00:00) Intro (01:18) Denzel Washington's Advice to Delroy Lindo (03:46) Mel Rodriguez on the moment that his career changed (05:05) Take the bitter with the sweet (06:40) You need to have Delusional Belief (08:35) How Mel Rodriguez lost 175 pounds (13:45) Be the Air Conditioner, Not the Thermostat (16:25) Assume everyone's on your side (18:05) Don't emulate Michael Phelps if you want to learn to swim (21:03) Irreverent Reverence and Jacob Elordi (22:50) Robert Redford's secret to an acting career (23:30) Be one of the crazy ones (25:12) These beliefs held me back for years (26:12) Try to enjoy every bit of it (27:40) What's the story you're telling yourself?

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5
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

Two actors, E-Kan Soong and Rían Sheehy Kelly talk acting and Hollywood in a way people understand. Dive into the most interesting headlines you need to know from the ever changing Hollywood industry as they share hilarious stories and insights from on set and off, and find joy along the ride. Frank, informative, and entertaining conversations for those in and out of the industry. All the world’s a stage, and this stage is on fire... but you know E-Kan and Rian are going to have a laugh either way. Watch and listen to new episodes every Monday wherever you find your podcasts! Follow @actorsguidepodcast on all social media, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Substack for all the best moments from the show. Follow E-Kan @ekansoong and Rían @riansheehykelly on Instagram

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