Joseph Purcell dropped out of community college three months after watching Heath Ledger’s interrogation scene in The Dark Knight in his apartment. Currently, he is one of the rising stars of microdrama. This microdrama is a mobile-first format that generates billions of dollars in revenue and reshapes the way audiences consume serial content.
The 26-year-old Australian-born actor, son of “Prison Break” star Dominic Purcell, had a few drinks with friends one night and rewatched the movie. “There’s an interrogation scene,” Purcell said in a recent interview on Zoom. “The first time I was shocked,” he said, after performing the scene for a friend, “I thought, ‘Okay, this is what I want to do.'” I dropped out of school after 3 months. ”
Purcell is based in Los Angeles, where microdramas are a new source of work for new actors. Since landing his first role a year ago, he has appeared in multiple microdramas produced by CandyJar, one of the leading microdrama platforms in the US, including “His Nerd,” “Rooming With the Devil,” and “Private Lessons.” These microdramas are vertical, smartphone-optimized episodes that typically run less than two minutes and are designed for mass consumption. “His Nerd” and “Private Lessons” are currently trending on the platform.
CandyJar’s “His Otaku”
It’s a format that almost didn’t exist five years ago. Microdramas first gained attention during the pandemic, when isolated viewers turned to watching bite-sized content on their phones. The format will generate $7 billion in China alone in 2024, while the U.S. market reached $819 million last year and is expected to reach $3.8 billion by 2030, Variety previously reported.
His growth has also attracted attention from existing talent. Taye Diggs (‘Rent,’ ‘Private Practice,’ ‘All American’) is set to star and executive produce Candiger’s ‘Off Limits and All Mine,’ marking the big name’s first foray into the vertical drama field.
Purcell started appearing in microdramas a year ago, in February 2025, through a self-posting on Actors Access after learning that a friend had a steady job in the industry. “I had a friend in that space who was doing movies. He was getting paid and was working as an actor,” Purcell says. “And that’s kind of hard. It’s hard to work as an actor. And I tried it, and I got it.”
Purcell applied for a supporting role, but was offered the lead role instead. “Actually, I had no idea what I was getting into. I had only heard about verticals, never seen them, but I tried it and have been working at the same company ever since,” he says.
The work itself is relentless, as the production schedule for these microdramas is compressed, typically shooting for five to 10 days and lasting 12 to 14 hours per day. Purcell said he typically shoots five to 10 scenes a day, but he’s heard of some actors shooting 20 scenes.
“If we’re lucky, we’ll be ready in a week to a few days. And we’ll just do the best we can with what we have,” he says.
CandyJar’s “Private Lesson”
Budgets range from $100,000 to $300,000 per series, a fraction of traditional television production costs. Lean models rely on emerging actors, minimal space, and rapid response. Purcell’s latest project is scheduled to be released within two months, an unthinkable timeline for his traditional work.
The success of the genre attracted the attention of mainstream players in Hollywood. Former Miramax CEO Bill Block launched Gamma Time with support from Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner. Fox Entertainment has invested in Ukrainian vertical company Holywater. Former ABC chairman Lloyd Brown, former Showtime president Jana Winograde and former NBCUniversal executive Susan Rovner announced MicroCo in August.
Its technical approach also reflects the format’s DIY efficiency. While most cameras shoot vertically and rotate the camera to portrait orientation, CandyJar shoots horizontally, cropping in post-production, and framing to vertical proportions during shooting.
“They just tell you to get really close, and you just stand so close to your partner that they become blurry and you can’t even see each other,” says Purcell. “It’s interesting, but I shot more vertically than horizontally.”
Purcell believes the format’s appeal lies in its nostalgia for early 2000s romantic comedies, a genre that has little presence on modern streaming platforms.
“In a way, I feel like it’s similar to romantic comedies from the early 2000s to the late 90s. Of course, the values and writing are different, but I think the emotions that come out of it are similar,” he says. “These romantic comedies don’t seem to exist in the realm of traditional television production anymore, so they may just be filling a gap in the market.”
“And it’s always fun because it’s so dramatic. There’s no pressure to watch it.” This initiative opened doors for Purcell across industries. After a clip of his first microdrama went viral on TikTok, director Sarah Shepard cast him in the horror film Glamping, currently showing on Tubi.
CandyJar now frequently offers him roles without auditioning, a sign of the trust he has built on this platform.
Joseph Purcell appears in Tubi’s ‘Glamping’
But the industry’s rapid expansion has raised questions about working conditions. Although most microdrama productions are non-union, SAG-AFTRA has introduced vertical agreements in recent months aimed at bringing union protections to the format. The agreement is for productions with budgets of $300,000 or less, and sets a minimum daily rate of $250 for lead actors and $164 for supporting actors. This is significantly less than standard union rates, but an important step toward justifying the space.
The format employs many actors who have struggled during the pandemic and labor strikes, with some appearing in dozens of productions. In recent months, the Los Angeles City Council voted 14-0 to consider creating $5 million in grants for microdrama productions, recognizing that small budgets often don’t qualify for state tax credits that require a minimum spend of $1 million.
Despite this increased institutional support, many in the field still came through unconventional paths. Purcell comes from a family of actors – his father, Dominic Purcell, played Lincoln Burrows in Prison Break – but initially pursued sports and had no intention of becoming an actor.
“I was just playing sports because I’m very reserved and shy and I love sports. I wanted to be a professional athlete,” he says. His father’s career ultimately gave him the confidence to pursue acting. “I thought he could do it. He has it. He had it in him. Maybe it’s in his blood.”
When asked about long-term goals, Purcell is realistic. “I shouldn’t say this is a stepping stone, but working as an actor is very difficult,” he says. “Of course we want to move to a horizontal format. We’re just doing the best we can.”
For now, he’s focused on all forms of dramatic roles. “It’s hard to choose at the moment, but obviously it’s something dramatic. I love drama. I’m inspired by drama,” Purcell says. “Whenever I get a chance to be in one of these, I don’t take it for granted and do the best I can. I love acting. Any acting opportunity is great.”
Platforms like CandyJar, ReelShort, and DramaBox have built sustainable businesses through data-driven production, algorithmic distribution, and cost-effective talent development. Whether microdramas represent a permanent change in format or a passing trend, they are now providing steady work for actors like Purcell and redefining what it means to have an acting career in 2025.
