The Netflix series Hollywood is everything that one would expect from a Ryan Murphy show. It’s full of enterprising and optimistic people, all of whom are trying to make a go of it in the cutthroat world of Hollywood. Indeed, it is precisely the characters that make this series such a fun show to watch. There’s no character that doesn’t capture the viewer’s attention, and every one of them has at least a chance at redemption.
What's more, as the series progresses, they all begin to show the nuances and depth of their personalities, and thinking about them in terms of the Myers-Briggs® personality types sheds new light on what makes these men and women tick.
Rock Hudson - ISFP
Based on the classic Hollywood star of the same name, this Rock Hudson is a bit of a hayseed from the middle of America. He’s also an incredibly sweet guy, and his romance with Archie is one of the most endearing and heartwarming parts of the series.
However, it has to be said that he’s something of a dim bulb sometimes, and this leads to him often being exploited by others who want to take advantage of his ISFP innocence.
Jack Costello - ESFJ
In some ways, Jack Costello is the primary character in the entire series. Like so many of Ryan Murphy’s other characters, he’s incredibly earnest. He genuinely wants to make a go of it as an actor, and as an ESFJ, he also wants to be the best husband and friend that he can.
However, he’s not always the brightest crayon in the box, and it’s his lack of savvy that lands him in some very uncomfortable situations. However, the viewer is invited to love him anyway.
Raymond Ainsley - ESTJ
The fledgling director Raymond Ainsley has managed to make a career for himself in Hollywood, largely by hiding the fact that he’s biracial. While there’s no question that he’s charismatic and has an artistic vision that he’s determined to see brought to fruition, he’s sometimes a bit exasperating.
He often makes decisions that seem to defy the rules of logic, and despite the fact that he should know how a movie is made (like a good ESTJ), he sometimes doesn’t recognize that there are financial limits to what he can attain.
Ernie West - ENTP
Ernie West, the man who runs a gas station that provides a certain kind of service to the men and women of Hollywood, is one of the series’ most fascinating characters. He’s irascible, but there is also a heart of gold that shines forth from beneath that seemingly cynical exterior.
Ernie’s the kind of guy whose ENTP nature lets him make exactly the decisions that he needs to in order to get ahead in life, so it’s no wonder that he’s managed to accrue a tidy fortune by the time the series begins.
Laura Harrier - INFP
Despite the fact that she is an African American woman working in a Hollywood notorious for its segregation, Laura is determined to get what she wants. She wants to be a top-tier actress, and she has the intelligence, the charm, and the acting ability to see her get there.
From the beginning of the series, the audience is invited to cheer for her as she gradually works her way up through the Hollywood hierarchy, and they are also invited to cheer for once she finally arrives at success.
Henry Wilson - ESTJ
Henry Wilson is, without doubt, one of the most despicable characters to appear on the series. Viperish and malevolent, he has almost no respect for anyone, whether studio bosses or the stars that he takes under his dubious wing.
For all that he’s a morally reprehensible character for the majority of the series, he’s also shown to be remarkably intelligent. Like a good ESTJ, he knows how Hollywood works, and he has the sort of ruthless brilliance that allows both him and his clients to succeed.
Archie Coleman - INTJ
Archie Colemen quickly emerges as one of the most endearing characters in the series. There’s an innocence and a charm about him that never goes away, no matter how many obstacles are thrown in his way. The series makes it clear that he’s a very good writer, and it is his script that forms the basis of the film that eventually gets made by all of the main characters.
He’s also a very determined INTJ, and he deserves a lot of credit for deciding to live his life as an openly gay black man in a Hollywood, and a society, reluctant to accept either of those identities.
Ellen Kincaid - ENTP
Holland Taylor brings all of her considerable acting abilities to bear in her portrayal of this character, one of the higher-ups at Ace Studios. Unlike some of the other executives, who tend to be a little bit too quick to dismiss the young talent that they see come before them, Ellen has a sixth sense for what kind of person is fated to make a star (making her a great ENTP).
Time and again throughout the series, she’s shown to have a will of iron, one that helps her survive in the very patriarchal world of old Hollywood.
Joe Mantello - ESTJ
Like Ellen, Joe Mantello is one of the highest executives at Ace Studios. At the same time, he’s also hiding the fact that he is a gay man. Eventually, of course, he comes out, but he manages to stay in his position, precisely because he is one of the most intelligent people in the entire operation.
As an ESTJ, he knows what makes movies work and, just as importantly, he knows what it takes to get them made. He’s a fascinating and charismatic character.
Avis Amberg - ENTJ
It’s probably no surprise that Avis would be an ENTJ. She is played, after all, by the one and only Patti Lupone, one of the most extraordinary talents that has ever appeared on stage and screen. From the moment that she appears on-screen, Avis makes it clear that she not only knows what makes Hollywood work, but also her husband.
It’s entirely fitting that she would be tapped to run the studio after her husband’s sickness (and later death) because she’s the only one with the brains to really make it work.