Busy Philipps became a social media influencer years ago and became famous for her stories on Instagram. She currently has over two million followers on the gram. Prior to becoming popular for sharing her life on her Instagram stories, she was an actress. Then she basically decided to give up the actor's life for many reasons, which will be discussed here.
Philipps found other ways to make money outside of acting, such as starting her own talk show, her own podcast, and writing her own memoir. She also does pay promotions on Instagram, which some fans have gotten on her case for, but hey, according to Philipps, "you make money when you can in this business," she said in one of her stories. Residuals don't exactly pay the rent, contrary to what some may believe.
The many reasons why Philipps decided to basically quit acting include money issues, being a mom, and growing tired of the industry.
8 She Was Broke By 28
At the age of 28, Philipps was broke, even though she had acted on three major television shows. She was always cast in the role of the best friend and never received a lead role. She was Joey's college roommate on Dawson's Creek and one of Jules' besties on Cougar Town, for example. Philipps has admitted that acting has never been a solid income for her. Fans automatically think that just because someone has been on a major television show that they are loaded with money, which isn't always the case. That's the life of an actor. It's a life of uncertainty for most.
7 Social Media Allowed Her To Be A Mom
Posting stories about her everyday life as a wife and a mom and best friend to Oscar winner Michelle Williams allowed Philipps to stay home and take care of her kids while getting paid to do brand partnerships on Instagram. She quickly gained a following for her daily Instagram story updates and says that she enjoys entertaining her followers with updates on her life. One of her most memorable Instagram story moments was when she was drunk and locked herself out of her own house after attending the Golden Globes and getting stuck outside in the rain.
6 Her Body Image Issues
Being an actress in Hollywood unfortunately means that there is a very good chance you will be subject to criticism about your body. Philipps stated in her memoir that while on Dawson's Creek, one of the stylists on the show would make comments about how everything fit and looked great on Philipps' co-star Katie Holmes. That wasn't always the case for Philipps. She has said that photographers often want to remove her moles with photoshop, but she kindly requests that they don't these days because she's learned to be proud of her body. She was asked to lose weight for a role at least once, which bothered her, but she did it anyway to please the people who hired her.
5 Her Talk Show And Podcast Allowed Her To Be Herself
Philipps' talk show that unfortunately only lasted one season, allowed her to be the creative mind behind her own work and talk to her celebrity friends on a couch in front of an audience. It didn't require any acting or auditioning, but it allowed her to use her voice for things she believed in and it gave her a platform to just be herself, much like her social media accounts, but on a major network. After the talk show was canceled, Philipps and her friends took to building a podcast, which was a great way for her to earn money during the pandemic. The podcast allowed her to earn money while having her own control over things, as opposed to being an actress and showing up to work for somebody else.
4 She Got A Book Deal
Due to the overwhelming success of Philipps' Instagram stories, she was approached about writing a memoir about her life, since her life had become so entertaining for so many people on social media. She went to coffee shops nearly every day for months and documented the process of book writing on her story, of course. Book writing allowed Philipps to work on her own schedule, which is the complete opposite of what it's like to be an actor on a TV show. Once hired on 'Girls5Eva,' Philipps was very vocal in her stories as well as her podcast about how exhausting the work schedule was for the series.
3 Acting Means Crazy Schedules
Philipps has stated in her memoir and in her Instagram stories that she's always been really good at working. She has a very strong work ethic. After becoming a mom, things became a bit more challenging when it came to working schedules. On Cougar Town, she was lucky enough to be able to bring her kids to work with her. Cougar Town was the perfect gig for her at that time in her life because of her ability to bring her kids to work as well as the fact that it was a show that ran for six seasons, which provided her with steady work and a steady income.
2 She Needed Perfect Conditions To Take An Acting Job
Philipps stated in an Instagram post before she got the 'Girls5Eva' gig that she was retired from acting, but only kind of. She said that she just needed an acting job to pay a "stupid amount of money" and have the exact kind of working conditions she required. She then went on to say that she will only work on projects that are run by someone she loves or is a huge fan of. For those wondering, yes, she loves and is a huge fan of Tina Fey, who hired her on 'Girls5Eva.'
1 Being An Actor 'Wears On Your Heart And Soul' She Said
Philipps stated on her Instagram that she loves being an actor "with every fiber of my being" but that "the business of being an actor wears on your heart and soul." It's no secret that the entertainment industry can be a challenging one and it has definitely taken its toll on many actors in Hollywood, including Philipps.
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