Richard Rushfield Has Power in Hollywood. Just Don’t Tell Him That.

When I want to know what’s going on in Hollywood, I turn to Richard Rushfield. Richard is a columnist for the Ankler, his influential newsletter about the state of the entertainment industry. He is also sober, and decided to stop by our show on his 30th sobriety anniversary. We talk about how sobriety has changed his work ethic and made him more comfortable in his own skin. We also discuss the state of sobriety in Hollywood: from Shia Labeouf to Matthew Perry and why it may take a “Me-Too” size reckoning for the industry to kick its addiction to child labor. 00:00:00 Richard Rushfield and 30 years of sobriety 00:02:11 The ""working lush"" era and early journalism 00:07:00 The cost of insurance and uninsurable stars 00:11:12 Corporate Hollywood and post Me Too HR 00:14:13 Matthew Perry, AA, and recovery in the media 00:17:28 The systemic pathology of child stardom 00:22:54 Celebrity downfalls and the media spectacle 00:25:02 Power, influence, and writing for The Ankler 00:31:05 Navigating social anxiety without alcohol 00:35:40 Leaning into fear: Flying and ego 00:41:02 How to stay sober: Daily prayer and service 00:43:39 The infamous bathroom shoving match with Phish #RichardRushfield #TheAnkler #LongTermRecovery #30YearsSober #Phish #ShowerPrayer #SocialAnxiety #ChildStars Topics: Thirty years of sobriety milestones Hollywood's view on uninsurability Robert Downey Jr.'s industry return Modern Hollywood's corporate shift Matthew Perry's recovery legacy The systemic toll of child acting Lack of data on child actors Proposed labor limits for minors Media focus on celebrity downfalls Challenges in reporting misconduct Fighting social anxiety at parties Shoving match and false predictions New episodes release every Wednesday. ➡️ Subscribe to The Small Bow Podcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSmallBow?sub_confirmation=1 ➡️ Join The Small Bow Community: https://www.thesmallbow.com/ ➡️ Get the latest on The Small Bow: https://linktr.ee/THESMALLBOW ➡️ Download The Small Bow Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-small-bow-podcast/id1576208098