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Hollywood assistants have kind of a raw deal. While people around them rake in cash and celebrity, they're left dealing with the never-ending shitstorms of their high-powered bosses.
But a little humor goes a long way in such trying situations, so one assistant took to the internet and created an aptly titled Tumblr called "Hollywood Assistants." It details the various horrors of being at the bottom rungs of the movie industry via gifs of films and TV shows.
We emailed the site's creator, who is still anonymous, to find out a little more about his or her world.
LAist: How long have you been an assistant in Hollywood?
Hollywood Assistant: I've been an assistant for approximately one year.
LAist: How did you come up with the idea for the blog, and when did you start it?
HA: People always say you can't understand someone's else's life until you're in their shoes. This is the truest statement for Hollywood assistants. We are some of the most misunderstood people in America. People think we lead glamorous lives like our bosses. But as any Hollywood assistant knows, just because you get to be on calls with A-list talent does not mean your life is glamorous. The misinterpretation is what makes our lives comical.
Then came the blog idea in early May. I was a huge fan of the whatshouldwecallme blog, and I couldn't help but look at the gifs and come up with my own phrases for my everyday life. I realized the brutal truths of the assistant world make for impeccable comedy.
LAist: Have you gotten a lot of hits and reactions to it so far? I personally LOL'ed for about ten minutes while I was looking at it.
HA: I am not too technologically savvy, so this experience has sort of opened me to the "blog" world. The feedback I've gotten is incredible. I never expected this to go viral, but seeing all the Tweets and Facebook shares has really blown me away.
One of my friends told me I should put an anonymous email address up there, so I did that too. Each day I get emails from industry assistants saying "thank you." It makes me feel good when someone randomly emails me saying my blog made their day. It goes to show how misery loves company. I think it makes people feel good to know we all are going through this together. We're all nuts, but we also all have big dreams.
LAist: Can you tell me anything about your job -- do you work for an agent, where are you located, etc?
HA: I am actually in the process of transitioning jobs. Funnily enough, my former boss was absolutely incredible and we continue to have a great relationship. The majority of my blog posts are things I've observed in others rather than situations I've been through myself.
LAist: What is your opinion about the way agencies are depicted on "Entourage"?
HA: Spot on. Ari Gold is the guy that nobody wants to work for or that everybody wants to work for, depending on the day. What I connected to so much in "Entourage" was Lloyd because I totally understood his frustrations. Before the blog, I wrote a television pilot loosely based on my life at an agency. A showrunner said to me that nobody really cares about Hollywood-based stories except people in Hollywood and that they're hard to sell. Entourage was the exception. But having to be, for lack of a better word, someone's "bitch" is something I know mostly everyone can relate to in some way, and that's why I think people are responding so well to the blog.
LAist: What are your career goals? Do you hope one day to have an assistant whose life you can make hell?
HA: My goal is to staff on a show and then hopefully one day create a successful television show of my own. Writing comedy is my passion. My favorite thing is to make people laugh. The thought of getting to work on many projects throughout my career excites me. This blog is just another project for me. I always tell my friends that when I have an assistant one day, she/he will really enjoy working for me. I want to spoil my assistant and treat her/him well. I will not forget these days and how far a nice gesture from your boss goes.
LAist: If you get an offer for a book deal or something like that, will you come clean with your identity?
HA: Yes. If I get an offer for something, I will reveal myself.
