Hollywood is a 2020 Netflix original, a drama series that talks about a bunch of actors, directors, and writers who dream of making it big by getting their name on the silver screen. It is a semi-fictionalized ode to Hollywood's Golden Age, immediately succeeding the Second World War.
Many of the characters are based on real-life people who molded the cinema industry into the form it is today, while others are fabricated ideals that we wish Hollywood had turned to in that era. Everyone in Hollywood receives the awards they deserve, regardless if they were gay, Asian, or Black (an impossible notion in the late 1940s). To classify these amazing performances, we have prepared a list arranging a few essential characters according to their affinity for the various moral alignments used by Dungeons & Dragons.
Archie Coleman - Lawful Good (Crusader)
Archie Coleman is a struggling playwright who is paid a dollar a week to write scripts for the local Vaudeville theater. He turns to prostitution to make more money, ing Ernie's clique of attractive young men, which unexpectedly jumpstarts his career.
As a Crusader, Archie knows the importance of his role as a gay, black man succeeding in Hollywood — he takes the audacious step of attending the 20th Academy Awards Ceremony on the arm of his boyfriend, actor Rock Hudson (a real-life gay actor). After he wins for Best Screenplay, he goes further in his acceptance speech by announcing his love for Rock on the stage and affirming the need for role models in the film industry.
Camille Washington - Neutral Good (Benefactor)
Camille Washington is introduced as the girlfriend of promising director, Raymond Ainsley. She initially struggles with the standard cinema prejudices against Black people — who were for a long time relegated to non-speaking roles as maids or drivers.
However, Camille perseveres to become something bigger than herself, a star shining down on all the poor Black girls out there, because she wants to show the world that success is not limited to race or gender. As a Benefactor, her aspirations may be lofty, but she refuses to trample over others on her journey. Camille fights not only for her rights, but also for those she is representing.
Avis Amberg - Chaotic Good (Rebel)
Avis, played by Patti LuPone to delicious perfection, is the middle-aged wife of Ace Amberg (founder of Ace studios). She initially struggles with her husband's philandering and responds in kind by soliciting Jack Castello's services. This meeting proved to be a turning point for Avis, as she was soon brought in with the shimmering talents of Camille, Raymond, and Archie.
She becomes head of the studio when her husband is in a coma, which is where she fully transforms herself into a rebel. Being the first-ever woman to run a major Hollywood production house, Avis makes a bold decision by producing Meg, a film in which both the screenwriter and lead actress are African Americans. This judgment was made in flagrant opposition to the studio board but is proven to be right when Meg is a resounding success.
Dick Samuels - Lawful Neutral (Judge)
Dick Samuels was first shown as a harsh, no-nonsense executive — essentially running Ace Studios even though all the credit went to Ace. After his tender encounter with Rock Hudson, whom he was planning to pay for sex, he realizes that he has been living a lie his whole life: he chooses from that point on to be an openly (as open as possible for the '40s) gay man. Post metamorphosis, Dick begins to display traits of the Judge.
While he maintains a personal code for himself, he also insists that Avis needs to take a proactive role in furthering the rights and dignities of unprivileged people. We see this when he stands his ground against Avis when she is reluctant to allow an interracial romance in Meg.
Raymond Ainsley - True Neutral (Undecided)
Raymond Ainsley is a half-Asian director who believes in equal representation. To this end, he manages to score Anna May Wong (based on an actual actress) a role in Meg. Raymond exemplifies only the positive traits of the Undecided alignment — in that his commitment is towards ensuring artistic accomplishment.
He is completely neutral towards the features of race, sexuality, and gender. For Raymond, any cultural norm or social convention is surmountable, as long as the cast and crew working on his film display an exceptional level of talent.
Jack Castello - Chaotic Neutral (Free Spirit)
Jack Castello is a struggling actor, desperate for roles in the film industry. To this end, he even shifts base from Minnesota to LA, dragging his pregnant wife, Henrietta, along with him. Jack behaves like a Free Spirit — which has led him far in life, as seen when he gets an impeccable in Hollywood: his lover, Avis Amberg.
However, his chaotic persona has also led him into trouble — he has sex with innumerable women, telling himself that he has no other way to provide for his family. He then realizes that his love for Henrietta was based on fear brought on by the War and that he never actually loved her.
Ernie West - Lawful Evil (Dominator)
Ernie West is based on the real-life Hollywood pimp, Scotty Bowers, who provided "entertainment" for the Hollywood elite. Ernie is an amicable man, taking pride in his ability to sell people on anything he wants.
However, he is typical of a Dominator, considering that many men who worked for him did so under compulsion — Ernie offered them money and promises that he did not always honor. Further, he pressured heterosexual men like Jack to take male lovers, even threatening to fire him if he refused.
Lon Silver - Neutral Evil (Malefactor)
There is no better example of a Malefactor in this show than Lon Silver, Ace's prime attorney. His goals are hinged on neither morality nor empathy — as we see with his treatment of Dick Samuels. Lon is devoted to his own ideals, which refuse to acknowledge anyone not white, male, and straight as worthy of iration. He is the true antagonist of the series.
When Ace dies before he can agree to the release of Meg, Lon takes the matter into his own hands: he forcefully takes the reel for Meg from Raymond and burns it in an incinerator (because he thinks the studio will incur losses given the presence of a black woman as a lead actress). Luckily, a copy of the reel is saved, and Lon gets fired outright by Avis for his arrogance.
Henry Wilson - Chaotic Evil (Destroyer)
Henry Wilson is a fictionalized interpretation of the real-life movie agent by the same name. He is a closeted gay man, even though half of LA knows his secret — his revulsion at his own sexuality makes him inflict his emotional pain on others, specifically Rock Hudson.
As a Destroyer, Henry plays the Hollywood game with unwarranted ruthlessness — such as raping Rock Hudson in exchange for a part in a movie. He is also unstable; in one case, he apologizes to Rock for his behavior, promising to be a good agent. Immediately after, he tells Rock to have a threesome with two USC footballers while he watched.