5AM StoryTalk

If you’ve ever felt the crushing weight of a culture that demands “content” but punishes audacity and ambition from its artists, this ep is for you. 💪
Are you confused why 'Sinners' didn’t walk away with the Oscars’ biggest prizes? Unsure why the theatrical box office is in free fall? Or are you taking as few risks in your own work as the people you complain have ruined the artforms you love most?
In this episode of 5AM RealTalk – a 5AM StoryTalk "plog" about the artist's life – I’m getting into all of this, plus how I’ve begun to rebuild my creative and personal life after the breakdown I shared last time.
ON THE ITINERARY:
HUSTLE CULTURE FALLOUT: Last time, I talked about how hustle culture had led to a personal and professional breakdown...so, has anything changed for me? (Spoiler: Yes.) 🧠
CREATIVE RISK: Am I about to fall on my face with these new projects? 🎢
AUDACIOUS NEW FILMS: My reactions to the new films 'The Testament of Ann Lee' from Mona Fastvold and 'The Bride!; from Maggie Gyllenhaal. 🎬
BOX OFFICE DECLINE: WTF, only 53% of Americans went to the theater last year?! 🍿
2026 OSCARS: My reaction to the Academy Awards’ Best Director and Best Picture picks. 🏆
OSCARS STILL SO WHITE: Why Ryan Coogler and 'Sinners' were never going to win Oscars (it's about race, but maybe not how you think) 🎰
UNPROTECTED CREATIVITY: Lady Gaga and what creating art and reckless, condomless sex have in common. 🫦
SUBSCRIBE TO THE '5AM STORYTALK NEWSLETTER'
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://colehaddon.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
You'll gain access to both the 5AM StoryTalk newsletter and all episodes of this podcast – including exclusive bonus episodes in which my guests discuss seminal pieces of art from their lives. Ask questions in the comments section there, too!
SUBSCRIBE TO THE '5AM STORYTALK PODCAST' AT APPLE
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/5am-storytalk/id1807437928⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
A paid subscription at Apple will get you access to all of my bonus episodes in which my guests return to break down a foundational artwork from their lives.
TIP JAR
Not up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
LINKS
Read this episode as text at Substack: https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/why-sinners-lost-best-picture
Read Brooke Obie's essay "One Fetish After Another: PTA Exploits Black Women and Averts Revolution" here: https://blackgirlwatching.substack.com/p/one-battle-after-another-review
SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow Cole/5AM StoryTalk at…
⁠⁠5AM StoryTalk @ Instagram⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/5amstorytalkpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Cole Haddon @ Instagram⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/colehaddonwashere/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/colehaddon.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.com/@colehaddonwashere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
EMAIL
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
-
5AM StoryTalk would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present. Sovereignty was never ceded.
This podcast's music is provided by my brilliant friend Cary Brothers⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠https://www.carybrothers.com/

00:00 Welcome and Topics00:46 Burnout and Reckoning02:16 Creativity Returns03:19 Back to the Cinema03:34 Testament of Ann Lee04:00 Maggie Gyllenhaal The Bride05:40 Why Theaters Matter08:51 Oscars Recap10:45 Why Sinners Lost13:29 Lady Gaga Quote15:03 Final Thoughts and Outro

“20 years ago, it was possible to sell a film/TV pitch based on a badass title alone. Today? I have an A-list actor attached and still can't get paid.” 🎬✍️
In this episode of 5AM STORYTALK, I pull back the curtain on the back-breaking, soul-crushing work that is development in modern Hollywood 🎬.
By way of a personal anecdote from my 20 years as a professional screenwriter and TV creator – involving a prestige limited series and one of my favorite actors – I break down what it’s like to be a screenwriter in 2026 ✍️.
It’s a world where screenwriters are expected to break entire seasons, create visual decks, and attach A-list talent—all for free—only to be told by studios that the work has barely begun.
ON THE ITINERARY:
THE DEATH OF DEVELOPMENT: How studios offloaded financial risk onto the shoulders of writers 📉.

THE ATTACHMENT TRAP: What happens when an A-list star joins your project and the studio still refuses to trigger a paycheck 🪤.

THE SPEC TRAP: Why writing for free is an "exploitative and abusive" cycle that even established writers struggle to break 🔄.

SURVIVAL TACTICS: How to protect your creative heart (and your bank account) when the industry demands your soul on spec ❤️‍🩹.

BONUS EPISODE: "Why You Shouldn't Trust Hollywood Agents"
I explore the institutional inability of agents to be honest with their clients, featuring a hell of an example from my own career. This is an essential listen to help navigate your relationship with your agents – especially as your career in Hollywood takes off 🚀. Exclusive to Apple and Substack listeners.
🎧 APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bonus-why-you-shouldnt-trust-hollywood-agents/id1807437928?i=1000753843560
✍️ SUBSTACK: https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/fucked-up-amount-of-work-hollywood-screenwriting
LINKS:
Read the essay “The F*cked Up Amount of Work It Takes to (Not) Sell Something in Hollywood” at Substack 🔗
Another useful essay/podcast episode you should catch – “How to Survive the Sad, Uncertain Life of an Artist”: https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/new-podcast-episode-how-to-survive?utm_source=publication-search 🎭
SUBSCRIBE TO THE ‘5AM STORYTALK NEWSLETTER’
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://colehaddon.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
You’ll gain access to both the 5AM StoryTalk newsletter and all episodes of this podcast – including exclusive bonus episodes in which my guests discuss seminal pieces of art from their lives. Ask questions in the comments section there, too!
SUBSCRIBE TO THE ‘5AM STORYTALK PODCAST’ AT APPLE
A paid subscription at Apple will get you access to all of my bonus episodes in which my guests return to break down a seminal artwork from their lives.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/5am-storytalk/id1807437928
TIP JAR
Not up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow Cole/5AM StoryTalk at:
⁠⁠5AM StoryTalk @ Instagram⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/5amstorytalkpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Cole Haddon @ Instagram⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/colehaddonwashere/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/colehaddon.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.com/Colehaddonwashere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
EMAIL
⁠[email protected]
CREDITS
5AM StoryTalk acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present.
This podcast’s music is by ⁠⁠Cary Brothers⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.carybrothers.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Emmy-nominated musician and comedian, actress, and TV creator RIKI LINDHOME (Garfunkel and Oates, 'Wednesday', 'Knives Out') discusses the "freedom of no opportunities", how failing at the traditional Hollywood audition circuit forced her to invent a singular, transgressive career on her own terms, and her new comedy album 'No Worries If Not' and one-person musical 'Dead Inside' that fearlessly, darkly, hilariously explore her fertility journey.
Pay attention, artists and dreamers: This episode is a masterclass in turning desperation into innovation and the deeply personal into creative triumph. It suggests a roadmap for building a career in a "new artist economy" where corporate gatekeepers are no longer the only way in.
A BONUS EPISODE is available via Apple Podcasts or at Substack.
Riki returns to break down a seminal piece of art from her life—the legendary 1975 musical A CHORUS LINE.
In an essential listen for the dreamers out there, Riki explains how this musical - and film - provided the blueprint for her own artistic trajectory. It’s a deep dive into the brutal reality of putting it all on the line and how this specific story continues to influence every fearless piece of art she creates today.
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bonus-riki-lindhome-talks-a-chorus-line/id1807437928?i=1000752367424
Substack: https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/riki-lindhome-a-chorus-line-bonus
ON THE ITINERARY
THE CATEGORIZATION TRAP: Not fitting into a specific box sounds like a good thing, but it handicapped Riki’s early career as an actress and forced her to innovate in exciting ways. 🧬
THE FREEDOM OF NO OPPORTUNITIES: Why a "vacuum" of interest became the essential catalyst for Garfunkel and Oates, which set Riki’s career in a radical new direction. 📢
FIRING THE "COOL POLICE": The psychological shift required to stop seeking permission and start making "embarrassing," honest, and transgressive art. 👮‍♂️
THE NEW ARTIST’S ECONOMY: Knowing when to stop chasing the industry's version of your career and start creating on your own terms. 🏛️
TRANSFORMING TRAUMA: The origins of her new album ‘No Worries If Not’ and one-person musical ‘Dead Inside’, and how she processed a traumatizing fertility journey through comedy. 🕯️
ANATOMY OF A SONG: We dig deep into the stories behind and execution of several songs from ‘No Worries If Not’
LINKS
Learn more about Riki Lindhome: https://www.rikilindhome.com/

Listen to 'No Worries If Not': https://open.spotify.com/album/5RmyBjMFTOJnn5OflPKfL5?si=5KaWLsu7SDaTkKauVd9XOA

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ‘5AM STORYTALK NEWSLETTER’
⁠⁠⁠⁠https://colehaddon.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠
You’ll gain access to both the 5AM StoryTalk newsletter and all episodes of this podcast – including exclusive bonus episodes in which my guests discuss seminal pieces of art from their lives. Ask questions in the comments section there, too!
SUBSCRIBE TO THE ‘5AM STORYTALK PODCAST’ AT APPLE
A paid subscription at Apple will get you access to all of my bonus episodes in which my guests return to break down a seminal artwork from their lives.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/5am-storytalk/id1807437928
TIP JAR
Not up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow Cole/5AM StoryTalk at:
⁠⁠5AM StoryTalk @ Instagram⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/5amstorytalkpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Cole Haddon @ Instagram⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/colehaddonwashere/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/colehaddon.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.com/Colehaddonwashere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
EMAIL
⁠[email protected]
CREDITS
5AM StoryTalk acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present.
This podcast’s music is by ⁠⁠Cary Brothers⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.carybrothers.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Are you spending more time chasing the work than actually creating it? In this Feb. 24, 2026 episode of 5AM RealTalk, things get uncomfortable. I’m pulling back the curtain on the artist's gig economy and admitting things I’ve hidden from my closest friends for years. If you’ve ever screamed "I can’t do this anymore" into the void of an 80-hour work week, this one is for you. I hope it helps.
On the itinerary this week:
How did I end up working 80 hours a week as an artist (screenwriter, novelist, essayist, and podcaster)?!
The 21st century hustle culture/gig economy is killing creative lives
My father’s greatest gift to me…or was it a curse?
The imbalance of time spent chasing screenwriting work and actually screenwriting
A podcast too far
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes because I can’t fake being happy anymore
I finally got out to the movies – and ‘Marty Supreme’ was just what I needed
Except that line ‘You’ll never be happy’ hits me hard
Henry Miller and what artists get about the life more abundant
SUBSCRIBE TO THE '5AM STORYTALK NEWSLETTER'
⁠⁠⁠⁠https://colehaddon.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠
You'll gain access to both the 5AM StoryTalk newsletter and all episodes of this podcast – including exclusive bonus episodes in which my guests discuss seminal pieces of art from their lives. Ask questions in the comments section there, too!
SUBSCRIBE TO THE '5AM STORYTALK PODCAST' AT APPLE
⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/5am-storytalk/id1807437928⁠⁠⁠⁠
A paid subscription at Apple will get you access to all of my bonus episodes in which my guests return to break down a foundational artwork from their lives.
TIP JAR
Not up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
LINKS
Read 'Portrait of an Artist as a Young Liar' about my first year in LA, when I reinvented myself as an arts journalist: https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/portrait-of-an-artist-as-a-young?utm_source=publication-search
Read/listen: 'The Horror of 'Dracula': The Unbelievable True Story of the 2013 TV Series - Part 1' about the nightmare that was my first produced TV series: https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/new-podcast-episode-the-horror-of?utm_source=publication-search
SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow Cole/5AM StoryTalk at…
⁠⁠5AM StoryTalk @ Instagram⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/5amstorytalkpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠
Cole Haddon @ Instagram⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/colehaddonwashere/⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/colehaddon.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.com/@colehaddonwashere⁠⁠⁠⁠
EMAIL
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
-
5AM StoryTalk would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present. Sovereignty was never ceded.
This podcast's music is provided by my brilliant friend Cary Brothers⁠⁠. ⁠⁠https://www.carybrothers.com/

FATIMA PAYMAN is a former refugee who became one of the youngest senators ever elected to the Parliament of Australia—where she has courted controversy on more than a few occasions. Today, the Senator joins me for some 5AM StoryTalk, and it’s one hell of a conversation.
We tackle the decline of freedom of speech in Australia, the role of multiculturalism in the country’s art and identity, and whether the current Labor government is actually up to the challenges posed by the 21st century.
A BONUS EPISODE is available via Apple Podcasts or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠at ⁠Substack⁠.
Sen. Fatima Payman returns to break down a seminal artwork from her life – the Rage Against the Machine song ‘Killing in the Name’ from the rock band’s 1992 self-titled debut album.
The Senator reveals for the first time the role this radical political song played in her decision to leave Australia’s Labor Party and become an Independent senator instead.
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bonus-sen-fatima-payman-talks-rage-against-the/id1807437928?i=1000749709502
Substack: ⁠https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/fatima-payman-rage-against-the-machine-killing-in-the-name
Listen to the song here: https://open.spotify.com/track/59WN2psjkt1tyaxjspN8fp?si=549a5e1f2d5e4fdc
This is an extraordinary chat about the impact of art on the individual and, in this case, a political party.
LINKS
Learn more about Sen. Fatima Payman: https://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=300707
Learn more about Sen. Payman’s decision to leave the Labor Party: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-04/fatima-payman-quits-labor-after-palestinian-vote-furore/104056278
Learn about the rise of the Far Right in Australia: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/the-rise-of-far-right-extremism-australia-2025/8skg4ekwe
Learn more about ‘Killing in the Name’ here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_in_the_Name
SUBSCRIBE TO THE ‘5AM STORYTALK NEWSLETTER’
⁠⁠⁠⁠https://colehaddon.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠
You’ll gain access to both the 5AM StoryTalk newsletter and all episodes of this podcast – including exclusive bonus episodes in which my guests discuss seminal pieces of art from their lives. Ask questions in the comments section there, too!
SUBSCRIBE TO THE ‘5AM STORYTALK PODCAST’ AT APPLE
A paid subscription at Apple will get you access to all of my bonus episodes in which my guests return to break down a seminal artwork from their lives.
TIP JAR
Not up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠:
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow Cole/5AM StoryTalk at…
⁠⁠5AM StoryTalk @ Instagram⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/5amstorytalkpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Cole Haddon @ Instagram⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/colehaddonwashere/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/colehaddon.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.com/Colehaddonwashere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
EMAIL
⁠[email protected]
CREDITS
5AM StoryTalk would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present.
This podcast’s music is provided by ⁠⁠Cary Brothers⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.carybrothers.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠