Stranger Things actress Maya Hawke has made shocking revelations about Hollywood producers’ casting methods.
During her appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Hawke explained how some filmmakers in Hollywood consider an actor’s Instagram follower count as a key factor in casting decisions.
Maya stated that in the age of social media, actors are expected to share personal aspects of their lives with fans, which has blurred “the line between actor and celebrity.”
Sharing her personal stance, Maya revealed, “I always wanted to be an actor where the work is what the draw is, not the personhood.”
“But the industry keeps changing, and you have to change with it and understand that all of these things are getting blurred,” she added.
The Do Revenge star claimed that some producers believe that the combined social media following of a cast plays a crucial role in determining a project’s success.
“I don’t care about Instagram. Instagram sucks. But just so you know, if you have over this many followers, you can get the movie funded,” Maya pointed out.
“It’s a really confusing line to walk,” she added.
The Asteroid City actress also revealed that she once considered deleting her Instagram account, but a well-known director warned her that doing so could impact casting decisions.
“They told me, ‘Just so you know, when I’m casting a movie with some producers, they hand me a sheet with the amount of collective followers I have to get for the cast. So if you delete your Instagram and I lose those followers, understand that I will have to cast actors around you who have a larger following,’” she disclosed.
Maya Hawke, who currently has 8.9 million followers on Instagram, is set to return for the final season of Stranger Things, which is expected to be released by the end of this year.
