The Hollywood Reporter
A premier trade publication known for its deep-dive features, roundtables, and awards coverage
Overview
The Hollywood Reporter (THR) is one of the entertainment industry's most prestigious trade publications, known for its actor and director roundtable discussions, in-depth features, and comprehensive awards season coverage. It has been a trusted industry voice since 1930.
THR's annual roundtable series, where groups of actors, directors, or writers discuss their craft and current projects, is appointment viewing for anyone in the industry. These conversations offer rare, candid insight into how top professionals approach their work.
How It Works
The publication covers film, television, entertainment law, finance, and technology with a depth and perspective that complements faster-paced outlets like Deadline. Its feature profiles and investigative pieces often drive industry conversations for weeks.
A significant portion of content is free, with a premium subscription at approximately $20 per month unlocking full access to all articles, special issues, and the digital magazine. The free tier covers most breaking news and features.
Who Uses It
THR's roundtables alone make it worth following. As an actor, watching how your peers discuss their craft at the highest level is both educational and inspiring. Add it to your regular media diet alongside Deadline and Variety. The publication's in-depth profiles of actors, directors, and industry leaders often reveal career strategies, creative philosophies, and personal insights that are difficult to find in other outlets. THR's annual Women in Entertainment event and Power 100 list identify the most influential figures in the industry, providing a roadmap of the decision-makers whose projects and relationships shape casting opportunities. For actors who want to understand not just the what of the entertainment business but the why behind industry decisions, THR's analytical approach makes it an essential companion to the faster-paced coverage of outlets like Deadline.
Pricing & Plans
The Hollywood Reporter operates on a freemium model similar to Variety. A significant portion of content is available for free, including breaking news, many features, and roundtable video content. The premium subscription costs approximately $20 per month or $200 per year and provides unlimited access to all paywalled articles, special issues, the digital magazine, and the complete archive. THR's roundtable video series — featuring groups of actors, directors, writers, or producers in candid hour-long conversations — is available for free on YouTube and the THR website, making it one of the most accessible and valuable resources in entertainment media. For most actors, the combination of free articles and free roundtable videos provides more than enough content to justify making THR part of your regular reading rotation without requiring a paid subscription.
Pros & Cons
What's Great
THR's standout strength is the quality and depth of its feature journalism, which goes beyond breaking news to provide context, analysis, and narrative storytelling that illuminates how the entertainment industry operates at its highest levels. The actor and director roundtable discussions are genuinely unparalleled — watching accomplished performers discuss their approach to roles, their career turning points, and their relationships with directors provides insights that are as valuable as any acting class. THR's legal and business coverage is among the best in entertainment media, covering deal structures, contract disputes, and regulatory developments that affect the industry's operational framework. The publication's awards season coverage is both comprehensive and analytical, tracking not just predictions but the strategic considerations behind awards campaigns. THR also produces the annual Hollywood's 100 Favorite Films and similar lists that, while entertaining, also serve as cultural literacy resources for actors who should be familiar with the canon of great cinema.
What Could Be Better
THR's premium paywall restricts access to some of its most valuable content, and the $20 monthly subscription may not be justifiable for actors who are not yet earning significant income from their careers. The publication's coverage, while exceptional in depth, updates less frequently than outlets like Deadline, which means it is better suited as a companion to real-time news sources rather than a primary source for breaking developments. THR's focus on high-profile talent and major projects means that emerging actors, independent productions, and regional markets receive limited attention, creating a coverage gap that other outlets like IndieWire and BroadwayWorld fill more effectively. The site can be visually cluttered with advertisements, particularly on the free tier, which can make for a less pleasant reading experience. THR's roundtables, while excellent, tend to feature predominantly established talent from prestige projects, which some critics argue creates a narrow representation of the acting profession.
Our Recommendation
Every actor should watch THR's roundtable discussions — they are free, accessible, and provide unmatched insight into how top performers think about their craft and navigate their careers. The free tier of THR's website provides sufficient coverage for most actors' needs, but those who want unrestricted access to the publication's deep-dive features, business coverage, and digital magazine should consider the premium subscription. Pair THR with Deadline for speed and Variety for breadth to create a comprehensive trade media diet that covers the entertainment industry from multiple angles. If you are preparing for a significant audition or meeting, search THR's archive for profiles and interviews with the directors, producers, or casting directors involved — the publication's feature content often reveals the creative preferences and working styles of key decision-makers.
Pro Tips
Watch every roundtable discussion in your acting category — drama actors, comedy actors, limited series actors — and study not just what the participants say but how they discuss their work, as the way accomplished actors articulate their creative process reveals their intellectual approach to the craft and models the kind of professional discourse you should be capable of in meetings and press situations. Subscribe to THR's free email newsletters, which curate the day's most important stories and provide an efficient entry point into the publication's coverage. Use THR's annual lists — Power 100, Women in Entertainment, Next Gen — as research tools to identify rising executives and producers whose projects you should be tracking and whose relationships could advance your career. During awards season, THR's campaign coverage provides a masterclass in how the industry recognizes and rewards performance, and understanding these dynamics helps you appreciate the strategic element of building a career at the highest levels. When you encounter a THR profile of a director or producer you admire, save it and reference it when you have an opportunity to meet them — demonstrating that you have read and appreciated their featured interviews signals genuine interest and professionalism.