An Assistant Director Says: ‘There Are 100s of Us Sitting at Home’ as Production Shrinks

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Holding on in Hollywood, a Wrap Series: Paul Lindsay, assistant director and DGA member

Hollywood Holding on- Paul Lindsay
Paul Lindsay, assistant director (Photo by Jennifer Gianna)

Twenty years ago, Paul Lindsay bought a one-way ticket from New York to California with only $125 in his pocket and without telling anyone in his family, other than his cousin in LA, whose couch he hoped to crash on.

The New School grad “hustled” his way onto film sets by donning a headset and looking important. He got hired as a PA and later as an assistant director on top shows like “Six Feet Under,” Grey’s Anatomy,” “Westworld” and the Jordan Peele feature “Us.”

Now the 53-year-old is shuttling between Los Angeles and Atlanta to find enough work to keep his Hollywood dream alive.

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