He’s amassed more than 140 credits on an enviable resumé that dates back to the early 1990s, but David Krumholtz seems ready to throw in the towel on his Hollywood career.

In a shocking announcement posted (and later deleted) on social media, Krumholtz said he’s “frustrated, fed up, fried” with the business, and once he decided to call it quits, he felt a “huge wave of relief” wash over him.

“I kinda sorta put my acting career on hold the other day. It’s been something I’ve been petrified to do for years. Specifically, the fear was that I’d go broke and not be able to handle being out of the game. But I sent the definitive email,” he shared on Threads. “And gotta say, a huge wave of relief washed over me. Not sure what I’m going to do for money instead, or how I’m going to do it, but I just removed a humongous burden, one that I truly didn’t fathom the weight of until it was gone. Frustrated, fed up, fried.”

The post received tons of traction immediately, and Krumholtz continued the conversation by responding in comments to fans expressing their disappointment, encouragement or support, as well as posting additional replies. “The love and encouragement re: my last post is overwhelmingly surprising. Acting professionally is a very different concept than the exercise of acting itself. I’ve enjoyed every single minute of exercising the muscle. I’ve enjoyed the fanfare. There was a time when being competitive and self-involved really served my pursuit. That time has passed. Much to MY overwhelming surprise. There will always be great joy in the exercise. But for me, the profession has lost its gleam.”

Fellow actor Garret Dillahunt was among those who responded by posting, “This is sad news for me. But I am happy for you. I understand completely.” Krumholtz wrote back and further elaborated on his next moves: “Ain’t over, rather, redefining my terms. Hoping to find a new, more rewarding passion. Me, my product, and [my] mentality is not working anymore. I want to try to be of service. No crystal ball.”

The 48-year-old veteran actor hails from New York and has worked consistently since breaking into the business on both the big and small screens with parts in Law & Order, Life with Mikey, Addams Family Values, The Santa Clause franchise (playing the beloved Head Elf Bernard) and the Ice Storm, to name a few early roles. He had regular roles on such shows as Monty, Chicago Sons, The Closer, The Trouble With Normal and Numb3rs, the latter of which lasted the longest with 119 episodes.

He also starred in high-profile movies like Slums of Beverly Hills opposite Natasha Lyonne, 10 Things I Hate About You, The Mexican, Sidewalks of New York, Ray, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, Crazy for Love, Bobby, Superbad, This is the End, Hail, Caesar! and more. He played Isidor Rabi in Christopher Nolan’s best picture winner Oppenheimer, which earned him rave reviews, and had a busy last couple of years starring in Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere and opposite Seth Rogen in The Studio and Sausage Party: Foodtopia. Most recently, he starred as Zor-El in Supergirl.

You know things are rosy in Hollywood when one of the biggest legacy studios is suing the federal government. On Tuesday, Disney and ABC filed a lawsuit against the FCC, the Federal Communications Commission, accusing it of violating its right to free speech through the agency’s aggressive regulatory moves.

ABC’s lawsuit plainly says that the FCC is trying to suppress its speech and is leading a “retaliatory campaign” for the simple reason that “it disapproves of what ABC broadcasts.” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr in recent months has pushed for ABC’s broadcast licenses with its eight affiliate stations it owns to be put up for early renewal, at the earliest two and a half years before their expiration. If the FCC were to successfully strip ABC’s licenses in those eight markets, it would force those local stations off the air. ABC’s lawsuit seeks to stop that.

“With the threat of non-renewal or revocation of its Stations’ broadcast licenses on the line, ABC cannot ignore the consequences of any decision that might anger the Administration or the FCC Chairman,” the lawsuit reads, adding later, “The consequences of the Administration’s campaign against free speech reach well beyond ABC. If the Administration gets its way, the message to every media company in the country will be unmistakable: tell only the stories the Administration deems favorable, or face the coercive machinery of the federal government. In such a world, the press could in no way be described as free.”

It sounds like the start of a long campaign over the right to free speech and defending the free press and entertainment industry from being bullied by the Trump administration. Disney’s lawsuit invokes language that makes the stakes seem much higher than one company. But Ray Seilie, an attorney with Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir (KHIKS), believes it to actually be a low risk move for Disney. If it wins, it can get the FCC off its back and would look like a heroic of free speech. But if it loses, it’s only on the hook for the FCC to play its process out, try and take more adverse action (like revoking its license altogether), at which point Disney could then potentially take the FCC to court again.

“What Disney’s arguing here to try to get around is that the license renewal demand is actually a sham, that the FCC doesn’t have a good faith belief that ABC’s licenses should be revoked for whatever reason the FCC is allowed to revoke them,” Seilie told IndieWire. “Therefore the court should step in now and not allow the Trump administration to use the burden and cost of a license renewal process to punish broadcasters who the Trump administration perceives to be expressing themselves in a way that they don’t like.”

All this started with the outrage last year over Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue joke concerning the Charlie Kirk assassination, a move that got Kimmel taken off the air by Disney after some affiliate stations said they would pre-empt his show and refuse to air it. But President Trump has also taken issue with “The View,” and most recently, he railed against ABC’s decision to not air one of his primetime addresses on July 16, leading him to call for ABC’s licenses to be revoked.

The FCC is saying its review is based on an investigation into Disney’s DEI policies, but the lawsuit points out that any adjudication the FCC brings against it would be “a charade,” one that would either drag out endlessly with costly litigation and more potential threats constantly hanging over its head, or it would force Disney off the air entirely.

Much like when Trump said in his first term that his immigration and national security push was actually just a Muslim ban, or countless other times in which Trump has blurted out his real intentions, Trump’s words have effectively shown the FCC’s cards and made any legal action harder. But Seilie explains that the reason Disney and ABC likely filed this lawsuit now is because the FCC is now taking concrete action against them, something Disney can actually challenge in the courts. When the Kimmel drama initially happened, there was public outrage and a lot of big talk from Carr (remarks like “we can do this the easy way or the hard way” that were widely criticized), but looking to review licenses, something it has the authority to do, looks a lot more like retaliation.

In response to the suit, an FCC spokesperson told IndieWire, “All broadcasters have a legal obligation to operate in the public interest — even Disney. The FCC has been examining claims that Disney engaged in illegal DEI discrimination for over a year. Disney is obviously very concerned about the FCC’s proceeding, as evidenced by their ongoing campaign of disinformation as well as their decision to ask a court to stop the FCC from further pursuing matters. The FCC will continue to follow the facts and law wherever they lead.”

On the other side of the coin though, FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez, the Democrat commissioner with the FCC, applauded Disney for taking a stand against the administration’s censorship threats.

“For months, the FCC has waged a campaign of censorship and control against Disney’s ABC stations, using the threat of broadcast license revocations to punish a company for speech this administration doesn’t like. I have long called on companies to push back against this kind of government intimidation, and I’m glad Disney has shown courage and stepped up. This should be a welcome sign for every broadcaster who has felt the weight of this overreaching government pressure in silence,” she said. “I am hopeful that this will mark the beginning of the end of this administration’s disregard for the Constitution and the law, and that the coming months will bring the costly legal defeat this agency has been asking for since it started down this path. It is time this administration understands that the Constitution does not bend to political convenience, and that the First Amendment protects the news and commentary Americans see on their screens even when those in power wish it didn’t.”

There’s a long history of broadcasters suing the FCC for perceived speech issues, and in many cases, the FCC usually wins. The history dates all the way back to George Carlin’s “Seven Dirty Words” routine up through more recent fines levied by the FCC over expletives said on air inadvertently.

Disney, though, in the first lines of its lawsuit maybe has a sense of where this is headed and who its ultimate audience will be. The suit referenced a 9-0 decision from the Supreme Court in favor of the NRA, one that essentially said the states couldn’t use their clout to put market pressure on a group like the NRA for its speech. You might think that Disney wouldn’t want this to go to a lengthy and costly trial, but Seilie believes if we see temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions filed in the coming days, Disney absolutely wants some kind of judicial decision to prevent any future threats from the Trump administration and to get ahead of the burden of prepping its renewal applications.

“They’re saying the precedent’s already been set. You’re not allowed to do this, and they’re hoping that they are on the right side of this legal issue,” Seilie said.

Horror fans everywhere are mourning the loss of Hayden Panettiere — including her own Scream co-stars.

In a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter, franchise star and final girl Neve Campbell remembered Panettiere, writing, “I found Hayden to be really kind and funny and brought a magnetic energy to set. She was a true talent which shows in the decades she worked in such a short life. Her family and loved ones are in my prayers.”

Panettiere died Sunday at age 36, after she was found unresponsive and in cardiac arrest inside an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina. Officials were reportedly heard discussing an “overdose” and “cardiac arrest” around the time of her death, though an official cause of death has not yet been revealed.

While Panettiere began her career as a child and teen actress, appearing in Remember the Titans, Ice Princess, I Love You, Beth Cooper, Heroes and Nashville, she became a beloved figure among horror fans as Kirby Reed in 2011’s Scream 4.

Panettiere originated the role of Kirby, a horror-obsessed high school student who became a fan favorite. The film, which was the final installment of the franchise directed by Wes Craven, also starred Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette, alongside Emma Roberts, Mary McDonnell, Rory Culkin, Nico Tortorella and Alison Brie.

Nancy Nayor, a casting director on Scream 4, recalled Panettiere’s casting in an interview with THR on Monday.

“When her name came up, she seemed like a really terrific contender for the role of Kirby and a great contrast to Emma Roberts,” Nayor said. “They were just visually and energetically very different, and we thought they would be great together.”

“I remember thinking she felt very happy. She was very excited to be in the mix and to get the role,” she continued. “The world is losing a very talented actress and beautiful soul who has shared and been revealing about her struggles along the way. One hopes that there’s a happy ending, but it doesn’t always turn out that way in real life.”

Nayor also reflected on the response to Panettiere’s return as Kirby in the sixth installment of the franchise.

“It made me happy that she had been so successful in Scream 4 and that fans were wanting to see more,” she said.

Following news of Panettiere’s death, several of her Scream co-stars shared tributes on social media.

Roberts, who played Kirby’s friend and fellow Scream 4 survivor Jill Roberts, shared throwback photos on Instagram, writing, “Rest in peace my sweet friend. You are so loved and you will be forever missed.”

Arquette wrote, “I love you Hayden.”

McDonnell wrote on Instagram, “Hayden you are a stunning, powerful, extraordinary soul. I loved working with you and seeing you recently and I was so proud of your determination and your resilience. This is a devastating loss. My heart and my prayers to your family and especially your beautiful Kaya. Your exceptional talent and heart will live in her. So deeply sad at this loss but heartfelt hope in the peace you so deserve now beautiful woman Hayden.”

Tortorella shared, “I keep trying to write something, but there are too few words for you. I love you. I miss you. And I’m sorry. I hope you and Jan are somewhere bigger than all of this.”

Panettiere had previously called the role “one of my favorite characters to ever play,” describing Kirby as “brave and fierce and edgy.”

Fans ultimately got to see Panettiere reprise the role more than a decade later in 2023’s Scream VI, where Kirby returned as an FBI agent. Her survival had been teased in 2022’s Scream, when she briefly appeared on a computer screen during an interview about the Woodsboro murders, confirming that she had survived the events of Scream 4.

Scream VI was the only film in the franchise that Campbell did not appear in, following a pay dispute. The film instead continued the revamped franchise introduced with 2022’s Scream, led by Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega.

Barrera, who was fired from the franchise after the sixth installment due to her comments on the Israel-Hamas war, also paid tribute to Panettiere, writing in an Instagram Story alongside a broken heart emoji, “Rest in peace sweet Hayden.”