Episode
6

Cynthia Hsiung’s Producer Playbook: How Dreams Are Made in Hollywood

What if one bold “yes” could change the course of a life? From championing a young Ryan Gosling to inspiring Scott’s own leap into hosting, Cynthia Hsiung proves that belief in others can rewrite the script.

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Show Notes:

🌟 What if one bold “yes” could change the course of a life?
From championing a young Ryan Gosling to inspiring Scott’s own leap into hosting, Cynthia Hsiung proves that belief in others can rewrite the script.

Meet Cynthia Hsiung — producer, mentor, and creative catalyst behind projects from MTV/HBO to “Young Hercules” (Sam Raimi & Rob Tapert), where she championed a 17 year old Ryan Gosling for the lead. Cynthia’s superpower? Spotting truth, building community, and turning “not yet” into “let’s go.” In this episode, she and Scott unpack how belief, craft, and collaboration accelerate big creative dreams—and how her encouragement helped Scott step into hosting.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Today's big idea

01:12 Why belief and community speed up dreams

05:40 Cynthia’s path: MTV/HBO development to hands-on producing

11:08 The “Young Hercules” casting story and championing Ryan Gosling

18:30 Fighting through “no” to find the “yes”

24:45 Scott’s New York pivot: classes, auditions, and camera confidence

31:10 How to avoid being pigeonholed—create your own lane

37:22 Producer tips for Hollywood hopefuls

43:10 Cynthia’s new NYC stage production (December dates)

47:05 Parting advice: build your team, stay you

🔗 Connect with Cynthia Hsiung

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourhollywooddream

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yourhollywooddream

UCLA Extension upcoming courses: https://www.uclaextension.edu/writing/screenwriting/course/showrunners-boot-camp-script-x-4261

Tickets for her upcoming play in New York City: https://www.simpletix.com/e/danny-and-the-deep-blue-sea-new-york-city-tickets-237628

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthiahsiung/

🎙️ About Believe Bolder
Believe Bolder is hosted by Scott Griffin, a nationally recognized TV host, author, and three-time Mortgage Broker of the Year, featured on CNBC, Bloomberg, HGTV, and more.

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