Ep. 20: The Oscars, AFM, Girls Next Door & Recap Chat! (2002)
Let’s Talk About Hollywood™
Release Date: 11/19/2025
Ep. 35: The Disney Layoffs 2026: Regroup, Recalibrate, Ready!
Let’s Talk About Hollywood™
This week of April 12, 2026, Disney laid off 1000 employees. My LinkedIn filled with 86,000 impressions in my written response to lazy AI slop about “streaming failure.” Disney+ is a streaming success. But 1000 careers were cut. I see you. You have value. You’re not done and your success will land anew. I’ve been out of work 18 months. That’s not a trauma dump: that’s my receipt. I’m still here. I’m still making things. And if I am, you are. The layoff ended your job. It didn’t end your career. This episode is for Disney employees and any worker in the world who just...
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Ep. 34: AKA - Ask Karl Anything
Let’s Talk About Hollywood™
In this week’s Ask Karl Anything episode, I answer listener questions about leaving Los Angeles after 29 years, starting over on Florida’s Gulf Coast, and whether making this podcast and sharing candid parts of my life is ever hard. It’s an episode about home, memory, reinvention, career and what it means to speak honestly about your life. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you there! The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you! 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96...
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Ep. 33: Hollywood Assistant: Pay Your Dues, Not Your Identity (2002)
Let’s Talk About Hollywood™
In this episode, I talk about what it's like being an assistant at an multi-million dollar enterprise and how being the best at your work and paying your dues is smart, but losing your identity and your own unique career path doesn't come with the job. I share a slice of life, the clashes and the wins that set a precedent for the career to ultimately come. As always, it's not what you say yes to, it's what you say no to and why. Assistants rock and this episode represents for all! If you'd like to support the podcast - it's always free and runs on donations, of any amount, like yours,...
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Ep. 32: Summertime Madness (2002)
Let’s Talk About Hollywood™
In this episode, it's the summer of 2002 and everyone (except my Mom and sister) is pissy and stressed. I'm working 6-day weeks at The Hollywood Reporter, my spouse has just gotten a new job, we've got a new apartment just weeks away from moving into, my then-best friend is tripping, and overall it's just a slice of life of pre-autumn summertime madness! I The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you! đź’› To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: or to...
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Ep. 31: Chaos & Confrontation on the Sunset Strip (1998/2002)
Let’s Talk About Hollywood™
In this episode, an update comes in 2002 about one of my closest actor friendships, an actor I'd worked with for nearly two years and shared off-the-set experiences with, that came to a chaotic and argumentative end on Sunset Blvd. at 2 a.m. in 1998. This episode honors friendship, grief, and touches on the start of when a loved one's drug use overpowers everything you used to know about each other. If you'd like to support the podcast - it's always free and runs on donations, of any amount, like yours, you can do so below! I use Donorbox, available in 96 countries and currencies. And...
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Ep. 30: It Comes Back to Your Career (2002)
Let’s Talk About Hollywood™
This week's episode talks about the current armchair analysis of Hollywood in certain forums that incorrectly see a wholesale AI takeover and is crowning winners of a future consolidate Hollywood without taking into account that the paying customers and audiences will be the judge of that. The 2002 journals detail an impending move, the stress of trade-offs in a career, leaving Hollywood in style, and why it's not so much leaving in style so much as it is leaving on your own terms and with your sanity intact. Let's talk...about Hollywood! If you'd like to support the podcast - it's always free...
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Ep. 29: "You're the Golden Child, It Doesn't Matter" (2002)
Let’s Talk About Hollywood™
I'm back and offering prayers for love, peace and safety in our current global conflict. My first solo invite to a party in 2002 where I gained entree into Black Hollywood. This is part two of a two-parter and also touches on those early days in Hollywood, the vibes of trying to get on the radar of PR execs and the town. I throw Bebbles a party and, later, a bar brawl nearly ensues when an admirer gets too close. The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you! đź’› To support the podcast and help keep it independent,...
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Ep. 28: The Hustle and the Hell (2002)
Let’s Talk About Hollywood™
Welcome! In this episode I talk about my first party in 2002 where I gained entree into Black Hollywood. This is a two-parter and also touches on those early days in Hollywood, or a career, where the hustle feels like hell until your career kicks off - but it does get better, so hang in there! Sometimes it just takes one manifest to let you know you're on the right track. The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you! đź’› To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here:...
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Ep. 27: Running Toward Him (2002)
Let’s Talk About Hollywood™
Welcome! In this episode I talk about my first and only husband and a moment of missing each other that I see even more clearly now. It's been 20 years, yet he was so intrisic to my career and life that there are times, in dreams, where all I want to do to make sense of the world is...to go running toward him for that moment. If you'd like to support the podcast - it's always free and runs on donations, of any amount, like yours, you can do so below! I use Donorbox, available in 96 countries and currencies. And it's safe! Thank you and see you next week. xox - Karl đź’› To...
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Ep. 26: This Time I'm Getting In (2002)
Let’s Talk About Hollywood™
Welcome back! In this episode I talk about being torn between wanting to make my new career as an editorial assistant at The Hollywood Reporter, balancing a 440-hour a month work schedule and the same class system I left as a stage actor that I'm starting to see is different, but also the same: it's nuts! Breakthroughs - yours and mine - are never too late. If you'd like to support the podcast: The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you! đź’› To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from...
info_outlineIn this episode, AFM is still in full swing, the Oscars are approaching, Bebbles and Karl go to Vegas, plus plenty of stories including: The Girls Next Door, Raquel Welch, Gloria Allred, getting kicked out of Six Flags in 2000 (for the day), keeping the faith in 2025 and more Hollywood observations from 2002 and more! It's a real-cap recap - I think you'll like it!
The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you!
đź’› To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here:
https://letstalkabouthollywood.com/support
or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available: