The other part of the pilot season game is the speculation: the leaked scripts, the rumours, the revisions in who's actually right for the part (one of my favourite TV business phrases is "we went another way", closely followed by "that (pointless production or script problem demanded by a higher-up) went away").

I talked with an actor friend of mine last night about how pilot season is changing, too. It used to be a given that TV people were newer in their careers. Fresh-faced.  But to the dismay of every actor hoping to break in, things have changed.  Now every single part is being “aimed high”. There are very, very recognizable faces at auditions right now, alongside everyone who's a new hopeful. Not every name is going to take a part but...who were the girls auditioning for New Girl who weren't Zooey Deschanel? Now that I think about it, I wonder if that means budgets have been adjusted to allow for well-paid people's expectations.

But this means that there are definitely actors of all types getting right in there for TV gigs. Because the rise of the cable channel is making a liar out of every whiner who ever said TV was lame, or didn't go as far as the movies. It's just no longer true.   

And far, far smarter and more talented people than Ryan Phillippe have found it fulfilling work. So maybe the truth is that he hasn't found the right part. Maybe he was offended that they wanted him to audition, rather than being granted the parts. Or, maybe it's that he has been found to be, er, not quite right for various parts. Or maybe the demands of all-day every-day if you're the lead in a series it is a guaranteed 14 hour day every single day, minimum.

One thing I know is this.  An actor who is having trouble can't hide it very long, and when even the whiff of them not being up to the task arises, suddenly it's everyone else's fault.  Bad scripts, bad management, bad production values.  Soon blame will start to get thrown. Watch.  

Attached - Ryan Phillippe leaving Chateau Marmont last night.