Some producers cast actors on basis of social media following: Maya Hawke

Los Angeles: "Stranger Things" star Maya Hawke said number of followers on social media apps plays an important role in getting a project greenlit today.

While she is not a fan of platforms like ‘Instagram’, the actress-singer said some producers ask directors to ensure that the actors they wish to cast in the film or series must have a certain amount of fan following on social media before the deal is sealed.

"I don’t care about ‘Instagram’. ‘Instagram’ sucks. Right, well just so you know, if you have over this many followers, you can get the movie funded. It’s a really confusing line to walk. I’m talking about deleting my ‘Instagram’ and some directors are like, 'Just so you know when I’m casting a movie with some producers, they hand me a sheet with the amount of collective followers I have to get from the cast. So, if you delete your ‘Instagram’ and I lose those followers, understand these are the kinds of people I need to cast around you'," Hawke said on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast, as quoted by entertainment news outlet ‘Variety’.

The 26-year-old actor, however, said there are some directors like Quentin Tarantino ("Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood"), Bradley Cooper ("Maestro") and Wes Anderson ("Asteroid City") who don't care about one's social media standing.

"Few directors, maybe there’s 10 of them, who have reputations that are vast enough and have shown how well they can work and what they can do, that they get given a lot of freedom and a lot of privacy. You can really focus and sit there and make a film with them. And I’ve been privileged enough to really work with three in my life. I got to work with three sets that were like this. I got to work with Quentin, Bradley Cooper and Wes Anderson," she added.

Hawke most recently voiced the character Anxiety in the 2024 animated film "Inside Out 2".