Trigger Warning: Self-harm and drug use.

We all know how hard it is to land a job in this industry, but what about how hard it is to fire someone... even when they deserve it?

In this week's episode, we hear from a confessor who was an executive producer on a 20-episode order of a first-season show. The challenges they faced just to run the room and keep good scripts coming on time were compounded exponentially by a writer who disrupted the room at every turn.

September 29th, appeared visibly intoxicated while working in the room.

October 5th, he was rolling a Swiss Army knife around on his knuckles with the blade out while appearing to be under the influence.

October 25th, he left over an hour early without telling anyone.

11/11, an unidentified pill was found outside his office.

Incredibly, these and many more infractions weren't enough to convince HR to take action. It was up to our confessor to find a way to manage the problem, all while running a TV show, dealing with the writer's mental health issues, and taking care of their own.

Join us for a discussion on firing and being fired, how to cope with toxic behavior in the workplace, and why we absolutely must destigmatize mental health care to make Hollywood a happier place.

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Check out some of our favorite shows:

• Screenwriters' Rant Room
• Screaming into the Hollywood Abyss
• It Happened in Hollywood
• The Secret History of Hollywood

Hollywood Confessional is a Ninth Way Media production, produced by Meagan Daine and J.R. Zamora-Thal.

Sound Effects and Music provided by Zapsplat and Pixabay.

Keywords: filmmaking podcast, film podcast, screenwriting podcast, entertainment podcast, Hollywood, filmmaking, writerslife, actorslife, setlife