Hollyweird and how to survive it

The other day I posted about The God of the Woods and looking at the casting for the upcoming Netflix series. Because it takes place at a kid's summer camp, there are by necessity child actors involved and as always I wondered why people put their kids in show biz. It's a tough business for adults; I wonder how many kids have to be ruined by it for people to keep theirs out of it. And it's not just children, apparently.

 

Billy Bob Thornton was discussing life in LaLa Land and what got me was the last sentence in this conversation (bold mine):

 

Billy Bob Thornton says a Hollywood party conversation made him realize he was truly an outsider in Los Angeles. A woman found out he was from Arkansas and asked...

 

But she said it was fascinating to me, and she goes, "And you came out here from, what is it, Alabama or something like that?" And I said, "Arkansas." She goes, "Arkansas." And with a straight face, said to me, "What do you people do down there?" 

 

"Well..." (Joe Rogan continues laughing) ...and I said, thinking she would get the joke, I said, "Uh, we mostly lay around on the porch with our hound dog and swat flies." She goes, "Oh, interesting, interesting."

 

"...but that was one of the moments where I realized that I really was an outsider out there, you know? And people ask me about my longevity in this business, and I always say it's because I stay out of it.”

 

Fascinating indeed. The difference between working in Hollywood and surviving Hollywood is not living in it.