It’s not often you get the likes of Adam Scott (Severance), Diego Luna (Andor, La Máquina), Eddie Redmayne (The Day of the Jackal), Jeffrey Wright (The Agency, The Last of Us), Walton Goggins (The White Lotus, The Righteous Gemstones), and Cooper Koch (Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story) in the same room, let alone diving into stories about career-shaping failures, sleepless nights, identity struggles, and emojis. But that’s exactly what unfolded during a wide-ranging, refreshingly honest roundtable that brought together six acclaimed actors, all currently riding creative and critical highs, for a discussion about their craft and the strange intimacy of being seen—on screen, and in real life. You can take a look at the roundtable above and get a rundown below.

The session was part of The Hollywood Reporter’s annual Drama Actor Emmy Roundtable, filmed in May at Soho House’s West Hollywood outpost. And while it closed with a toast (“To be rich in friends is to be poor in nothing,” as Goggins cheerfully offered), the road to that moment was paved with laughter, vulnerability, and hard-earned perspective.

“What’s a Walton Goggins Type?”

The group kicked off by considering what it means to be labelled as a “type” in Hollywood. Goggins was quick to joke that a “Walton Goggins type” usually reads as “lonely and sad”—a sentiment Scott agreed was “hard to beat.” Wright added, “I think Walton speaks for all of us.”

As the conversation unfolded, each actor reflected on how the industry sees them—or doesn’t. Wright shared that he often has to “slot myself into various rooms” due to a lack of roles written for someone like him, likening his adaptability to “having a multiple personality disorder.” Redmayne recounted how his early career shifted from quirky roles to English period dramas, to nervous scientists after the release of Theory of Everything, and now, he joked, “I’m being sent lots of sociopath assassins.”

For Luna, typecasting came with ethnicity. “Before Star Wars, the only projects I’d get offered would be drug dealers,” he said. Even if he got to be the “nice” one, the ceiling was clear. He now sees more freedom in how stories are told and who gets to tell them, crediting changing audience appetites over industry gatekeepers.

Bruising Feedback, Self-Doubt, and Creative Fuel

Inevitably, the conversation turned to the harsh early lessons that shaped them. Goggins recalled his first acting teacher telling him, “You don’t have the looks, so you’d better work harder than everyone in the room.” Rather than discourage him, the comment fired him up.

Koch, however, received a very different kind of critique—an acting teacher once told him he wasn’t getting cast because of his “gay voice.” “Not in that moment,” Koch said when asked if it motivated him. “I hated that.” But the self-doubt lingered, and the group nodded in recognition. “I’m terrified,” Koch admitted. “I don’t know if that will ever end.” Redmayne and Luna both said they disagreed with the idea that fear eventually fades.

For Scott, it took years to stop chasing what he thought he had to be—like Ethan Hawke in the ’90s—and to realise that “the only thing you have is you, and you’re the only one who can bring that to it.”

Nerves, Near Misses, and the Roles That Stick

Even after decades in the business, anxiety remains. Wright spoke about returning to The Agency for season 2 and still questioning whether he could pull it off. “There has to be some degree of energy, of concern,” he said. “It comes from a desire to do it well.”

Redmayne shared a vivid memory of starting The Theory of Everything on no sleep, soaking in a bath at 4:30am before a full day of filming. “I’ve learned that I can survive 48 hours and function—even if it’s not ideal.”

Goggins reflected on his earlier years with humility and gratitude, including a time he nearly lost his spot on The Shield. He now embraces what he calls “childlike abandon,” approaching new opportunities with the confidence that he’ll “figure it out.”

Koch spoke movingly about auditioning for Menendez-related projects for years before finally being cast in Monsters. “I felt like I have to tell this story,” he said, describing it as one of those roles that never fully left him.

Being Recognised, Making Connections

Inevitably, fame came up—specifically how fans approach them and what it means to be part of the cultural conversation. “Can I have a picture?” is the most common refrain, Koch noted, adding that he wishes people would offer a compliment first. “I’d rather connect.”

Goggins shared a more intense version of that visibility, recalling fans shouting to him from balconies and passing cars during The White Lotus’s run. “This is just something culture is participating in and you just happen to be a part of it,” he said. “It’s a blessing, not a curse.”

Luna described the passion of Star Wars fans as both profound and affirming—fans who know the work intimately and offer genuine appreciation. “They care as much as you do,” he said.

For Scott, Severance fans often approach him to talk about how they watch the show with loved ones. “It’s really ingrained into their lives in a different way,” he said, noting the surprise at how deeply the strange, isolating series resonated.

The Journey Over the Destination

Throughout the discussion, there was a recurring theme: the value of the journey. Wright told a story about rehearsing Angels in America with Al Pacino, who seemed far more interested in exploring the work than the final product. “The journey was far more critical than the ultimate destination,” Wright said, echoing a philosophy that resonated with the entire table.

As the conversation wound down, the actors swapped favourite emojis (Scott’s is the classic dad thumbs-up; Luna’s is a little dancing boy that works for every emotion) and shared laughs over awkward encounters and nudity on screen.

The roundtable closed on a note of warmth and camaraderie, capped by Goggins’ final toast: “To be rich in friends is to be poor in nothing.”