Rob Riggle says Hollywood work is disappearing from LA: ‘It’s the exception now’
Rob Riggle says work in the film industry has moved away from Los Angeles, making it increasingly unusual for actors to get jobs based there. He argues that remote, self-taped auditions have also changed how performers find work, and says these shifts are among the reasons people are leaving the city.
The 56-year-old comedian said he would like to return to his hometown of Kansas City, though he has matters to resolve in California first. He is promoting the holiday horror-comedy “Christmas at the Kringles”, filmed in Los Angeles, in which he plays Drunk Santa; the cast also includes Ron Livingston, Rachel Bilson, Beverly D’Angelo and Donald Faison.
In short
- Riggle says film work in Los Angeles has become the exception.
- Self-taped auditions mean actors need not be in the city.
- He hopes to move back to Kansas City.
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The case for
Riggle’s account reflects the strain that moving productions elsewhere can place on Los Angeles workers and communities built around film and television. If jobs are less often local and auditions happen remotely, performers may have fewer chances to build professional networks or sustain a career in the city, making relocation a practical response.
The case against
Production shifts and self-taped auditions can also give studios and performers more flexibility, allowing work to happen in a wider range of places and reducing the need to travel for early-stage auditions. One actor’s experience does not establish how broadly work has moved or why people leave Los Angeles; the reported changes may be only part of a more complex picture.
Explained simply
Los Angeles has long been a centre of US film and television production, with studios, crews and performers based in the city. But productions are increasingly filmed elsewhere, including in other US states and countries, where financial incentives and lower costs can attract companies.
Actors often find work through auditions, where they try out for roles. Self-taped auditions let performers record these from home and send them remotely, reducing the need to travel to casting offices; filming in other locations can also mean fewer jobs are based in Los Angeles.
Rob Riggle is a comedian and actor from Kansas City who has worked in film and television. His comments connect changes in how and where productions are made with the choices actors face about where to live and work.
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