Then there’s social media. Platforms like X are a godsend for indies. They let us connect with audiences, find talent, and spread the word without a studio’s marketing budget. Conservative actors love X too. They use it to vent about Hollywood’s biases, rallying fans with fiery posts about “woke casting” or cancel culture. Sometimes, they go a little overboard and become comfortable with their uncompromising attitude, believing themselves to represent broader opinions when they don’t. Sometimes they make perfect sense in a way that no reasonable person could find fault with. I respect their right to speak. Sometimes they make insane or just plain stupid statements, thinking their clever or edgy, aiming to grab a headline, thinking only about themselves. The problem comes when those rants blow back on the indie filmmaker’s work. I’m not making a political manifesto. I just want to tell a story. But one viral post, right or wrong, taken out of context can turn a project into a lightning rod. Suddenly a filmmaker whose put it all on black is spending days doing damage control, explaining to the cast or potential audience that “we’re not that kind of movie.” These actors know the stakes. They know their words carry weight. Yet they keep swinging, prioritizing their personal brand over the film’s survival, knowing they can walk away from the wreckage of whatever movie they happen to be on, at the time. It’s having their cake and eating it, too. If they want the freedom to rant and the security of a paycheck while a filmmaker who has spent years cultivating a vision is left cleaning up the mess, they need to get some skin in the game, too.
“They want the perks of the old system without the hustle of the new one.”
This isn’t just a personal gripe. It’s a structural problem. Indie filmmaking thrives on collaboration. Everyone has to pull their weight, whether it’s the grip, the editor, or the star. Vocal so-called conservative actors say they want an alternative to Hollywood, but many act like they’re still in it, expecting the old rules to apply. Meanwhile, filmmakers like me are forced to play by new ones that haven’t even been defined, yet. We scrape by on passion, ingenuity, and the occasional lucky break. Every kind of indie film from Sound of Freedom or Terrifier 3 prove it’s possible. They succeeded because the cast and crew bought into the vision, taking smaller checks or deferred pay to make it work. That’s the model we need: actors who see themselves as partners, not hired hands.
Can I be honest for a second and speak directly to these actors? I’m exhausted by the extremes on both sides. I don’t need one side or the other to meet in the middle, but I do want choices that feel reasoned, balanced, and not ready to bite my head off if I see the other side’s point or don’t fully agree with you. I can’t afford to be on set letting an actor suck up all the oxygen because I’m afraid they’ll stomp off and delay production if I’m not one hundred percent in lockstep with their values.
