The vertical film boom has created a new breed of celebrity — actors who jump from one 9:16 shoot to the next like digital nomads chasing day rates and dopamine hits. But as the demand for quick content skyrockets, so does a dangerous pattern that’s quietly wrecking productions across the industry: the double-booked actor.
🎬 The “Sick Day” That Costs Thousands
Picture this: It’s the morning of the table read. The crew’s ready, the director’s caffeinated, and the lead actor texts that they “can hardly get out of bed.” Maybe it’s the flu. Maybe it’s COVID.
Or maybe — as more producers are discovering — it’s a convenient lie.
Vertical productions are now facing an alarming trend of actors bailing at the last minute after accepting higher-paying gigs elsewhere, sometimes just days before cameras roll. And they’re not doing it gracefully. They fake illnesses, ghost production managers, and disappear from call sheets entirely.
By the time the truth comes out, the crew’s already been paid, locations booked, and thousands lost.
đź’¸ No Agent, No Integrity
In the new “Hollywood of the phone,” agents are rare — but fake ones are not. Several producers have reported receiving emails from supposed “agents” negotiating inflated rates and demanding full payment upfront, only to find out later that the email address belonged to the actor themselves.
“We had one actor claim their agent required 100% of the pay in advance,” one producer told V for Vertical. “When we checked, the agent didn’t exist. It was just him on another Gmail account.”
This stunt was allegedly done by LA actor – Myles Clohessy, but it’s part of a larger hustle culture emerging in the vertical world — one where contracts mean little, and reputation is a disposable currency.
⏰ Always Late, Never Ready
On set, the behavior isn’t much better. Crew members have quietly started blacklisting repeat offenders: actors who show up 30–60 minutes late every day, forget their lines, refuse direction, and — in one infamous case — left chewed gum on a wardrobe piece worth more than their day rate.
The most common excuse? “I’m shooting another vertical at the same time.”
Yes, some actors are literally trying to film two shows at once — bouncing between sets, wardrobe changes, and production schedules like TikTok influencers chasing algorithms.
⚖️ Who’s Responsible?
The deeper issue isn’t just flaky performers — it’s platforms enabling it.
Producers say that some platforms are so hungry for quick releases, they ignore due diligence entirely. Actors with histories of walking off sets or breaching contracts are re-hired under new project names.
Meanwhile, smaller production companies are left footing the bill when an actor disappears. Reshoots. Canceled locations. Lost marketing windows.
In traditional film, that’s grounds for a lawsuit.
In vertical film, it’s just another Tuesday.
đźš« A Call for Accountability
The industry is still too young to have real infrastructure — no unions, no guild protections, no standardized contracts. But that doesn’t mean chaos has to be the norm.
Platforms need to step up:
- Vet actors before approving them.
- Enforce contractual accountability.
- Support producers, not just data metrics.
Because for every viral hit that drops on a shiny new app, there’s a trail of exhausted crews, unpaid invoices, and “sick” actors who never actually coughed.
đź’ˇ Our Take
Vertical filmmaking is supposed to be the future — fast, raw, and democratic. But democracy without rules is anarchy.
The new generation of vertical stars has a choice: act like professionals or get replaced by those who will.
Because in this new Hollywood, your reputation fits in the palm of someone’s hand — and once word spreads, there’s no algorithm that can save you.
