Hollywood’s Whip-Smart Boss Ladies Spill Their Best Career Advice

The Hunger Games. Breaking Bad. Magic Mike. Chances are, you probably love — nay, are downright obsessed with — at least one of these Hollywood heavyweights. And what do all three have in common? Besides boasting cult followings and addictive stories, each have had crazy-talented women calling the shots in key behind-the-scenes roles. Namely: Producers Nina Jacobson and Melissa Bernstein, and casting director Carmen Cuba, respectively.

The trio of ladies have made names for themselves in the notoriously male-dominated entertainment industry. Just how testosterone-based is the field? A refresher: Women directed only 4.6% of the films released by the six largest studios last year and accounted for only 12% of protagonists in 2014's highest-grossing movies. In fact, the Hollywood gender bias is so evident that in May, the American Civil Liberties Union campaigned for an official investigation into the hiring practices of top networks, studios, and talent agencies.

The statistics may be sobering, but that doesn't mean there aren't brilliant women carrying the flag for females in entertainment — just look to Jacobson, Bernstein, and Cuba as proof. Ahead, we got the ladies to dish on what they really think of ass-kissers, the trick to casting strippers for Magic Mike XXL, their best career advice, and more — with some funny Walter White and Peeta stories thrown in for good measure, of course.