We’ve got big expectations for “breakout roles” in this industry. Yes, being part of a smash hit can be a game-changer, but it doesn’t guarantee a flood of offers and opportunities. While on an episode ofCollider Ladies Night,Aya Cashlooked back on her own experience with a “breakout” gig that led many to assume she would have her pick of things to do next when, in fact, that wasn’t quite the case.
The FX seriesYou’re the Worstdebuted in 2014 and was an instant hit, scoring spots on a whole bunch of “Best of 2014” lists. The show was renewed for a second season, then a third, then a fourth, and then a fifth and final season. The series received a slew of praise throughout its run, including a Critics Choice nomination for Best Comedy Series in 2015 and 2016. Needless to say,You’re the Worstput Cash on the map in a big way.
What exactly does that kind of recognition mean though? Is one fielding offers left and right? Is the possibility of joining a major film franchise on the horizon? Here’s how Cash explained the situation:
“There’s this myth in - well, in America, in our culture - but specifically in Hollywood that you get a job that makes it all easy again and you don’t have to audition and you’re just fielding offers. People would ask me after Season 2 of You’re the Worst, they were like, ‘What do you want to do next?’ And I was like, ‘I don’t have any options. Give me a job!’ Just because there’s some attention on something or you’re having some success in a role, does not mean that all of a sudden everybody is offering you The Hunger Games or whatever! [Laughs]”
So no, one hit show isn’t a guaranteed game-changer in that sense, butYou’re the Worststill did have a very positive effect on Cash’s career. Here’s how:
“I had never gotten an offer before You’re the Worst. So, I did get some offers. But it wasn’t like it changed everything. But, a lot of those offers are things that are very similar for a character. And I get it! Because people are spending lots of money on these things and they want to ensure they’re hiring someone who can do the thing that they want them to do. I hate to even say I try to be pickier because sometimes I don’t even have the option to be picky, and my pickiness means not working. Not like I’m just picking between roles.”
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Want an example of a very promising opportunity that came Cash’s way after the success ofYou’re the Worst? Just take a look at her latest release, the romantic comedyWe Broke Up:
“We Broke Up was my first offer ever. It was six or seven years ago. So that’s the journey of an indie film, is I was offered this around Season 2 I think of You’re the Worst. I sat down with [director] Jeff [Rosenberg], we had a meeting, we went to coffee, he seemed lovely, I was so excited to get an offer for a movie to play the lead. Normally I was auditioning for these. And of course I say yes, and then it didn’t come together until six years later and they were like, ‘Would you still do it?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, of course!’ When I make a commitment, I try - I’ve had to pull out of things, but I try to only say yes to things that I wanna do and it was so lovely to come back around and be able to do this with him.”
If you’re looking to hear more about Cash’s journey from the New York theater scene to scoring a key role in the hit seriesThe Boys, you can catch our full Collider Ladies Night conversation in the video at the top of this article!
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