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Hollywood Was Never This Rude

Eddie Murphy and Steve Martin
Heather Graham, Eddie Murphy and Steve Martin in Bowfinger (1999). Photo: Getty Images
David T. Friendly
June 19, 2022

I first heard the term “ghosted” when my kids started dating. Happily married for 30 years, I don’t have to experience that indignity. But, in this business, it’s been happening to me more frequently than I would like or expect—and I know I’m not alone.  

Recently, I pitched a four-part docuseries on the rise and fall of disco and its impact on dance music. (It did not sell.) At one of my first stops, a premium streamer, a senior executive seemed genuinely interested in my subject and take. At the conclusion of a productive 45-minute Zoom, she said, “This is intriguing. Let me get the boss’s thoughts and we will circle back shortly.”