‘Obsession’, ‘The Pitt’ and ‘Hacks’ are breakout stars in the field of industry and AI

A group of rising stars from “Obsession,” “The Pitt,” “Euphoria” and more gathered Thursday to discuss the Gen Z effect on entertainment and career opportunities in Hollywood as part of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s first First Act: Summer Soiree event.

The participants – Patrick Ball (“The Pitt”), Megan Lawless (“Obsession”), Tonatiuh (“Kiss of the Spider Woman”), Caitlin Reilly (“Hacks”), Darrell Britt-Gibson (“Euphoria”) and Courtney Taylor (“Ballard”) – shared their career stories and advice with a crowd of fellow young artists at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Meryl Streep Center for Performing Artists at the union’s headquarters in Los Angeles.

The panel discussion follows Box Officer Sleeper’s hits, such as Curry Barker’s “Obsession,” which is fueling the zeitgeist and growing appetite among Generation Z, who are among the most active moviegoers.

“We’re in a state where it feels quite exciting because I think we’re starting to see a lot of original storytelling again, which I think we’ve been longing for,” Taylor said during the panel moderated by Rochelle Rose, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s national director of artist programs. “Things like ‘I Love Boosters,’ ‘Backrooms,’ ‘Obsession,’ we’re so hungry for something new. We’re starting to see that and I think the opportunity we have there is to lean into that and lean into every story.”

Lawless, who plays Sarah in “Obsession,” explained that she’s been waiting for this moment since she was 13. “This is just my dream come true. For me, I’ve finally met the moment where I feel like people want to work with me and choose me, and there’s something new: I now have a choice,” she said. “I’ve been very involved with my team, I talk to them all the time. If I can make it, like press-related things, I say yes. This moment won’t last forever.”

Britt-Gibson, who has also been given a choice in her career after landing a recurring role in Season 4 of HBO’s critically acclaimed drama series “The Wire,” is intentional about everything.

“I’ve sacrificed a lot of money in this industry on projects I said no to,” he said. “I always think, ‘Will I be able to sit my future children down and show them something and say I’m proud of it, not that it made so much money, not that so many people saw it?’”

Ball, who won an Actor Award as part of the ensemble of HBO Max’s hit medical drama “The Pitt,” has a unique story. He did theater for fifteen years before landing the role of Dr. Frank Langdon took on the role, while many of the other panelists worked their way up in a more traditional way through various films and shows.

“What you see when you watch Season 1 of ‘The Pitt’ is you’re watching an educational process for me. You’re figuring out how cameras work, how a set works,” Ball said. “You just have to do it, you can’t prepare for it. And I’m honestly not the best at it.”

At the end of the panel, Rose brought up AI, which has quickly become one of the most controversial and topical issues in the industry.

Reilly encouraged her fellow actors to be “very against” AI: “Everyone keeps telling us that AI is coming for us, it’s happening whether we like it or not. The truth is, that’s a lie. These corporations and billionaires are trying to push it into our lives, and if we work together and say no, we can push back. You don’t have to deal with it, you have autonomy. There’s a community here.”

On the topic of AI, Tonatiuh concluded with some practical advice to the audience.

“You have to learn to read a contract quickly and find a good lawyer quickly,” he said when it comes to actors signing their likenesses. “It’s very important that you’re not just an artist, but you’re running a business. And you can’t sign by accidentally reading it. Your agent won’t watch you, your manager won’t watch you. They look at the dollar because they want the percentage. You have to be on your guard.”

(Pictured at top: Megan Lawless, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Caitlin Reilly and Tonatiuh at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s First Act: Summer Soiree event on June 18)