Hollywood Career Coach on Living While Screaming Podcast Drama

Is Running from Zombies Ruining My Career?

I made a fortune starring in a successful horror franchise. When I joined the company, I had two small children and needed a full-time job. I decided that I would do one movie, get a check, and then go back to more “serious” roles – period dramas, corsets and petticoats.

But here I am, ten years later, with seven sequels under my belt and nothing left to show. My character was buried alive, held hostage in a haunted bunker, and trapped in a paranormal pocket universe where everyone was half bees and half humans. I had perfected the art of running as if my life depended on it, but somehow slowly enough that a reanimated corpse could catch up with me. My screaming face has now become a meme that has been used on every continent and was featured on Leno.

I’m stuck. The worst part? I know I’m good at these films. They’re well made and I try my best, but horror doesn’t get the respect it deserves. Horror films always get overlooked during awards season. I trained at the Juilliard School and can scream on command while dodging zombies, but I feel like I’m forever the scream queen. Should I fight for horror to be taken seriously, or try to break into something else?

There was already a scream

Dear cry has already happened,

You have a successful franchise, a regular job, and you were featured on Leno – that’s the type of stable job and profile that most actors dream of. But it sounds like your disappointment isn’t with the horror itself; it’s about how the industry—and perhaps you—perceive your role in it.

You’re right: the industry doesn’t seem to embrace horror as much as other genres (maybe they’re just weaklings), which means it needs a champion. Maybe it’s you? What would happen if you took a pioneering position in the celebration of horror? Do you think the respect you’re looking for can come if you stop seeing your success as a trap and start seeing it as an opportunity to redefine the genre’s potential?

And on finding your way into other genres: would a historical horror film be a good springboard? Would you enjoy wearing wigs and dodging poltergeists?

Until your next incarnation,

Remy

Help! My podcast partner keeps editing me.

Dear Remy,

I’ve been hosting a pop culture podcast with my best friend for two years now. We started with ten listeners (all our moms, each with multiple accounts) and now get tens of thousands of downloads a month. Here’s the problem: A friend of mine edits a podcast and turned it into the Me Show.

If I say something wrong (like that time I said the N in Rihanna), he makes sure to leave it. the bits disappear.

Meanwhile, he edits himself to resemble the Oracle of Los Angeles. His voice takes on all the seriousness, and I sound like a guy who came here through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

What should I do? I don’t want to start a feud, but this is getting out of hand.

Capsule Man

Dear Pod Man,

You’re running a mental scorecard, and that’s rarely a sign of a healthy partnership. Before you argue with your co-host, could you ask yourself if it’s really about airtime or if it’s more about feeling like your voice isn’t valued?

What would happen if you both sat down and had an honest conversation about how you each see your role in the podcast? You could frame this as a broader conversation about the direction of the podcast as a whole: Should you review an editorial, liven up the format, or maybe even launch a line of products—like potholders with your face on them?

Maybe he’s just as unaware of how much airtime he’s taking up as you are of how much resentment you’ve accumulated? And more importantly, what is really at stake for you if this continues? For what it’s worth, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the Reddit algorithm, so I’d suggest being your own cheerleader here.

I wish you smooth sailing on these unknown radio waves,

Remy

I’m a brilliant production designer. Why don’t my friends believe me?

Dear Remy,

I’m a leading production designer in Hollywood, working with the biggest studios and most famous directors. But I can’t stop rearranging everything—my friends’ living rooms, their nurseries, even their conference rooms. I once couldn’t leave the executive’s office without rearranging the trophies on his shelves. Two friends actually interrupted me after I rearranged their child’s nursery according to Vastu Shastra principles…during their baby shower.

My wife doesn’t let me invite people over anymore because I spend half my time testing color schemes and the other half explaining feng shui. I once turned my mom’s favorite rocking chair into tables while she was at the grocery store – she still hasn’t forgiven me. I’m great at what I do. Shouldn’t everyone just appreciate my genius?

Install in my opinion

Dear set in my ways,

You’re like the sound engineer who adjusts the volume of people talking at dinner, or the lighting director who dims the lights during brunch. You’re a great person, but there’s a difference between doing your job well and taking it where it’s not wanted.

Do you think your need for rearrangement is less about design and more about control? What if, instead of reshaping the world around you, you focused on why you feel the need to impose your creativity in spaces that are not yours? If you could learn to let go in your personal life, would you still strive to adapt to someone else’s environment? For the sake of your wife, who is constantly confused by constantly moving furniture, this is worth considering.

Don’t hold back your creative impulses, but perhaps offer to help your friends when it comes to interior design choices before you begin your feng shui practice. As a vampire – perhaps you need to be invited first?

Sending you my best wishes from my perfectly positioned chair,

Remy

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Remy Blumenfeld is a veteran television producer and founder of Vitality Guru, which offers business and career coaching to successful media professionals. Send inquiries to: [email protected]..

Questions edited by Sarah Mills.