Does cast’s online clout determine a film’s fate?

Maya Hawke is shedding light on the evolving nature of casting in Hollywood, where social media influence is becoming an unspoken prerequisite for actors seeking roles.

In a candid conversation on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the Stranger Things star reflected on how the boundary between acting and celebrity has blurred, with producers now considering follower counts as a factor in casting decisions.

“What I always wanted to be is an actor where the work is what the draw is, not the personhood,” Hawke explained. “But the industry keeps changing, and you have to change with it and understand that all of these things are getting blurred.”

Hawke noted that while many acclaimed actors successfully balance public personas with their craft, others struggle to navigate an industry that increasingly ties financial backing to social media reach.

“I don’t care about Instagram, Instagram sucks. But just so you know, if you have over this many followers, you can get the movie funded. Well, I want to make the movie, so it’s a really confusing line to walk,” she said.

The pressure extends beyond personal preference. Hawke recalled discussions with directors who advised against deleting her Instagram, emphasising how a film’s overall social media footprint can influence casting decisions.

“They’re like, ‘Just so you know, when I’m casting a movie with some producers, they hand me a sheet with the amount of collective followers I have to get of the cast that I cast, so if you delete your Instagram, and I lose those followers, understand that these are the kinds of people I need to cast around you.'”

However, Hawke pointed out that a select few directors still operate outside this system, prioritising artistic vision over online engagement.

“There are still few directors, maybe there’s ten of them, who have reputations that are vast enough and have shown how well they can work and what they can do, that they get given a lot of freedom and a lot of privacy,” she said.

These filmmakers foster an environment where actors can immerse themselves in the craft without the pressures of social media content creation.

“You don’t have to have a thousand extra BTS guys, taking footage and asking you to make a video of you peeling your orange on the side of the set,” she added. “You can really focus and sit there and make a film with them. And I’ve been privileged enough to really work with three in my life. I got to work with Quentin [Tarantino], I got to work with Bradley Cooper, and I got to work with Wes Anderson.”

Having collaborated with Tarantino (Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood), Cooper (Maestro), and Anderson (Asteroid City), Hawke has experienced both ends of the spectrum – working within an industry increasingly shaped by social media influence while also witnessing the rare sanctuaries where artistic integrity remains the sole currency.