Just when you thought this business couldn't get any tougher, Deadline exposes another scandal that has rocked the industry and sent shockwaves through the creatvies involved in the audition process. Agents sending fake self tape requests to actors?! If this is something you'd never even contemplated before, you wouldn't be the only one. But sadly these are not just isolated incidents...  Including comments from The CDA and Equity's General Secretary, testimonies from actors who have been...

"Archie Purnell" JAMIE FISHER (also using the name 'Richard'), rogue talent agent, is back with a new name, new studio name ('Wigan TV & Film Acting School'), but the same old tricks. To get ahead of accusations he is spreading rumours and false claims. Knowing all I know, I cannot sit back and let more people be scammed. "Drawing from documented sources and firsthand accounts of those impacted, I am making this public statement, as a vital disclosure for anyone who may come into...

This episode is 1 hour 4 mins long. If your podcast app is only playing the first 45 mins, there is a technical issue that is currently being looked at! Please check back here for the full episode coming asap! Last year The 98% was contacted by Jake Kanter, a journalist for Deadline, after the podcast featured stories of those who experienced abuse and misconduct at UK drama schools. Thus began a relationship that has resulted in multiple exsposé articles unearthing misconduct in the...

his episode is 1 hour 4 mins long. If your podcast app is only playing the first 45 mins, there is a technical issue that is currently being looked at! Please check back here for the full episode coming asap! Last year The 98% was contacted by Jake Kanter, a journalist for Deadline, after the podcast featured stories of those who experienced abuse and misconduct at UK drama schools. Thus began a relationship that has resulted in multiple exsposé articles unearthing misconduct in the industry...

Mental health has always been a throughline for episodes of The 98% and so the podcast is proud to host Adam Bambrough in this episode, founder and CEO of Wellbeing in the Arts. After leaving the acting profession due to struggles with his own mental wellbeing, Adam planned to write a book revealing the scope of actors and creatives with mental health struggles. He soon realized that there was no stand alone mental health support in the entertainment industry, so no wonder mental health...

After a lifetime dedicated to the "I can do nothing but act" frame of mind, everything changed aged 39 for guest Lee Mengo. Thinking about his future and his prospects, Lee realized that acting wasn’t giving him what he needed in life. Financially, mentally, spiritually, egotistically...but coming to terms with that was a long hard road. When he finally made the decision to step away, start his journey of sobriety, and found a job that he loved teaching young actors…his 20 years of hard work...

After a group of actors reported their concerns about their former agent regarding fake self tapes, withheld pay, skimming money, lying about cancer, and more, to no avail...they came to Alexa at The 98% for advice on next steps. With seemingly nowhere else to turn, Alexa passed the information on to Deadline journalist Jake Kanter, encouraging him to help expose these dodgy dealings...For the sake of these actors, the others on the agencies book, and the inudstry as a whole. Thankfully, he...

Today's guest, Sally Abbott, has worked in the arts for 35 years. Starting in community arts and working her way up to writing for some of British televisions biggest shows, Sally has so much wisdom and insight to share. In this episode you'll hear why Sally finally feels like she’s who she’s meant to be at aged 55, how she has found confidence and navigated a diagnosis for ADHD, and what her journey in the industry has looked like. Actors listening will hear why writers can’t get you a job...

Series 5 keeps on rolling along and for episode 30 it's the two OG's, Alexa and Katie, sitting down and chatting about the current #actorslife goings on with the usual brtual honesty, evaluating the relationship actors have with the industry, co-dependency, the future of the podcast, some exciting new offerings, and some actor woes and wins! . Follow us on twitter/instagram at @the98percentpod for relatable #actorslife content, tips and advice for actors, and news about our new series. . ...

"This year I will book my first TV credit" "I will sign with an agent" "I will star in a film" Sound familiar? These are all outcome goals, and very common amongst actors who are so determined to achieve that certain thing they think will make them more valid, especially in an industry that tends to only focus on the outcomes. But outcome foccussed goals can be detrimental, especially as actors when the outcome doesn't necessarily correlate to the process. What are process goals and why...

The Spotify wrapped for The 98% showed that 70% of listeners discovered the podcast in 2023! So, incase you missed these festive parodies in previous seasons, here are a couple of the favourite #actorslife covers from Christmases gone by. Jingle Bells parody + An Actors Night Before Christmas. Happy Holidays everyone! . Follow us on twitter/instagram at @the98percentpod for relatable #actorslife content, tips and advice for actors, and news about our new series. If you've benefitted from...

Happy Christmas 98 percenters! You made it through another year. This time with continued pandemic fallout, and industry strikes. If your 2023 was a brilliant one, Alexa and Katie are cheering you on from the bleachers! But if you had troubles this year, whether professional or personal, The 98% is here to hold you in comfort, support and solidarity. In this episode Alexa and Katie speak about those sometimes highs and often lows that came in 2023, with the support of Hester Evans; a...

The 98% inturrupts its regular scheduling to bring you a bonus episode as an early Christmas treat! Listen to Alexa and Katie as guests on In The Room, a podcast inspired by The 98%! Hosts Matthew and Christian invited Alexa and Katie on to give a behind the scenes look at their journys in the industry, the background to how and why The 98% was born, what they've learned from doing The 98% and the guests the podcast hosts, advice for actors, thoughts on the abuse and mistreatment actors...

It's the 100th episode of The 98%! And what could be more on brand than a deep dive on the one thing that actors in the 98% have in common...having to have a non-acting job. Guest Robyn Holdaway returns to the podcast after publishing a brilliant article on The 98%'s blog entitled "How To Pick The Right Non Acting Job For You". They break down every part of the process of having to find a paythebills job with the main idea being finding a job that doesn't rot your soul...because, as Robyn so...

While people are saying the SAG-AFTRA vote is over, technically it's just suspended. The deal offered by the AMPTP and agreed upon by the actors union still needs to be voted on by members of SAG-AFTRA...and some are voting no, including previous podcast guest and strike captain Kylie Sparks, who featured in our special strike episode in July.  Hear Kylie break down some of the deal points that bring concern for the "journeyman actor" (like those in the 98%!), and why they believe the union...

It's the 98th episode of The 98%! And rules are being broken!! For the first time, The 98% is hosting someone from the other side...a 2 percenter!! Forget the usual format of interviewing familiar faces though, this is a relatable, validating discussion that might be exactly what you need in 98% life right now in the difficult landscape we find ourselves in. Many will remember today's guest Tony Gardner as the whacky and wonderful Brian from My Parents Are Aliens and despite going on to have...

In this two-part Halloween Special, Alexa and Katie enter the world of true crime, sharing cases with each other that also relate to being an actor, and life in the entertainment industry. Where better to uncover these sordid tales than Tinseltown itself: Hollywood..Where, behind the glitz and glam, lies a dark underworld of crime, prejudice and exploitation. In this episode, Alexa tells Katie about the investigation of the murder of Bonny Lee Bakley. Bonny, desperate to find self worth,...

Doing something a little different today, for the first ever Halloween special of The 98%! In this two-parter, Alexa and Katie enter the world of true crime, sharing cases that also relate to being an actor. Where better to uncover these sordid tales than Tinseltown itself: Hollywood..Where, behind the glitz and glam, lies a dark underworld of crime, prejudice and exploitation. In this episode, Katie tells Alexa about serial killer Harvey Glatman who was responsible for the senseless...

Joining The 98% today is Erica Bream CSA; Casting Director, audition coach, career consultant, self-tape guru and champion of actors. As well as casting across TV and film, Erica provides accessible, helpful information online and has been working hard for many years to de-mystify the casting process for actors.  Erica and Alexa chat about auditioning, self taping, the changes happening in the industry, the importance of bridging the gap between casting and actors, and much more! For more...

Something a bit different for The 98% on this episode - with a practical aspect!  Guest Dana Middleton is an Alignment and Tapping Coach who helps creative peiple raise their vibrations and unlock their most actualized lives. She teaches her Affirmation Tapping Formula to create laser focus while releasing common blocks and patterns of sabotage that hold creatives back.  What is tapping? Well; disciplines that rely on a body-mind connections have evidence showing that they can relieve...

Something a bit different for The 98% today - with a practical aspect! Guest Dana Middleton is an Alignment and Tapping Coach who helps creative people raise their vibrations and unlock their most actualized lives. She teaches her Affirmation Tapping Formula to create laser focus while releasing common blocks and patterns of sabotage that hold creatives back.  What is tapping you ask? Well; disciplines that rely on a body-mind connection has evidence showing that they can relieve stress,...

Three jobbing actors turn on the mic. One of them loves dealing with tax..the other two looooathe it. What happens next? Tune into find out! Alexa, Katie and guest Pete Mooney talk all things "tax for beginners" and really break it down to empower actors and other creatives to feel in control and in-the-know about being taxed as a freelancer. Tax returns, expenses, claims, budgeting, the importance of checking your bank statements, and more - all explored to the back drop of personal stories...

In 2010 a new theatre producer hit the twitter scene. But this wasn't like any other producer, this was a persona and he was talking the talk. After swiftly gaining popularity for his tongue-in-cheek relatable showbiz musings, it was time for 'West End Producer' to walk the walk. Which he did..donning a mask, sticking a pillow down his trousers and adopting a voice that is now so synonymous with the character he portrayed. For 14 years the real identity of 'WEP' has been a secret...until...

A few months ago The Cut published an article 3 years in the making. Journalist Sara Jin Li spoke to 26 ex-students of acting studio Lonsdale Smith & Company, ran by "dogmatic leader slash guru" Michèle Lonsdale-Smith; who has been running acting classes in studios acros North America, and now Europe, for 20+ years. Actors described, in detail, cult-like abuse, mistreatment and bullying exhibited under the guise of "doing the work". Since the release of the article, huge comparisons have...