"I did seven indies because the independent market used to be a lot better before all the stars were doing independents. As a beginning actor, that's where you started"
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There is a quiet grievance hiding inside this matter-of-fact career recap: the ladder got crowded, and the people who already made it are now standing on the rungs that used to belong to newcomers. Holloway frames indie film not as a chic artistic choice but as an ecosystem with a job-description: in the old model, independents were the training ground and showcase for “a beginning actor,” a place where risk, rough edges, and discovery were the point. The key word is “started” - indies as infrastructure, not branding.
His complaint isn’t anti-star so much as anti-distortion. When “all the stars were doing independents,” the indie space became prestige retail. Big names pull financing, distribution, and press; they also pull oxygen. Holloway’s subtext is economic, not romantic: a “better” market means more roles that could sustain a climb, more producers willing to gamble on unknown faces, more visibility that wasn’t pre-sold by celebrity. Once stars flood the zone, indies can still be great, but they stop functioning as the on-ramp.
It’s also a snapshot of a particular era. As studio mid-budget movies shrank and awards attention migrated toward “serious” smaller films, independents became a second home for A-listers chasing control and credibility. Holloway’s tone stays pragmatic, but the implication is sharp: when the industry rebrands survival as taste, it’s the beginners who pay.
His complaint isn’t anti-star so much as anti-distortion. When “all the stars were doing independents,” the indie space became prestige retail. Big names pull financing, distribution, and press; they also pull oxygen. Holloway’s subtext is economic, not romantic: a “better” market means more roles that could sustain a climb, more producers willing to gamble on unknown faces, more visibility that wasn’t pre-sold by celebrity. Once stars flood the zone, indies can still be great, but they stop functioning as the on-ramp.
It’s also a snapshot of a particular era. As studio mid-budget movies shrank and awards attention migrated toward “serious” smaller films, independents became a second home for A-listers chasing control and credibility. Holloway’s tone stays pragmatic, but the implication is sharp: when the industry rebrands survival as taste, it’s the beginners who pay.
Quote Details
| Topic | Career |
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