diff --git a/apps/vod/tasks.py b/apps/vod/tasks.py
index b74ffcba..367baff3 100644
--- a/apps/vod/tasks.py
+++ b/apps/vod/tasks.py
@@ -439,16 +439,14 @@ def process_movie_batch(account, batch, categories, relations, scan_start_time=N
             trailer = extract_string_from_array_or_string(trailer_raw) if trailer_raw else None
             logo_url = movie_data.get('stream_icon') or ''
 
-            # Extract optional metadata fields supplied by the XC provider in
-            # get_vod_streams. Stored in custom_properties so that the
-            # provider-info endpoint (and the XC vod_info passthrough) can
-            # return them without a separate per-movie API call.
             director = extract_string_from_array_or_string(
                 movie_data.get('director') or ''
             )
-            actors = extract_string_from_array_or_string(
-                movie_data.get('actors') or movie_data.get('cast') or ''
-            )
+            actors_raw = movie_data.get('actors') or movie_data.get('cast') or ''
+            if isinstance(actors_raw, list):
+                actors = ', '.join(s.strip() for s in actors_raw if s and str(s).strip()) or None
+            else:
+                actors = actors_raw.strip() if actors_raw else None
             release_date = movie_data.get('release_date') or movie_data.get('releasedate') or ''
 
             custom_props = {}
@@ -570,12 +568,7 @@ def process_movie_batch(account, batch, categories, relations, scan_start_time=N
 
             for field, value in movie_props.items():
                 if field == 'custom_properties':
-                    # Merge incoming props into the existing dict so that
-                    # detailed_info and other keys written by advanced refresh
-                    # are not lost when a basic sync runs afterwards.
-                    # For metadata fields (director/actors/release_date), only
-                    # write if the field is empty — advanced refresh may have
-                    # stored richer data that basic sync must not overwrite.
+                    # Merge: preserve advanced-refresh keys; don't overwrite director/actors/release_date if already set.
                     existing_cp = movie.custom_properties or {}
                     incoming_cp = value or {}
                     merged = dict(existing_cp)
@@ -601,8 +594,6 @@ def process_movie_batch(account, batch, categories, relations, scan_start_time=N
                         movie._logo_to_update = new_logo
                         logo_updated = True
                 elif movie.logo_id:
-                    # Logo URL exists but logo creation failed or logo not found
-                    # Clear the orphaned logo reference
                     logger.warning(f"Logo URL provided but logo not found in database for movie '{movie.name}', clearing logo reference")
                     movie._logo_to_update = None
                     logo_updated = True
@@ -821,7 +812,14 @@ def process_series_batch(account, batch, categories, relations, scan_start_time=
                 value = series_data.get(key)
                 if value:
                     # For string-like fields that might be arrays, extract clean strings
-                    if key in ['poster_path', 'youtube_trailer', 'cast', 'director']:
+                    if key == 'cast':
+                        if isinstance(value, list):
+                            clean_value = ', '.join(s.strip() for s in value if s and str(s).strip()) or None
+                        else:
+                            clean_value = extract_string_from_array_or_string(value)
+                        if clean_value:
+                            additional_metadata[key] = clean_value
+                    elif key in ['poster_path', 'youtube_trailer', 'director']:
                         clean_value = extract_string_from_array_or_string(value)
                         if clean_value:
                             additional_metadata[key] = clean_value
@@ -2193,26 +2191,25 @@ def refresh_movie_advanced_data(m3u_movie_relation_id, force_refresh=False):
                             movie.imdb_id = imdb_id_to_set
                             updated = True
                             logger.debug(f"Set imdb_id {imdb_id_to_set} on movie {movie.id}")
-                # Only update trailer if we have a non-empty value and either no existing value or existing value is empty
                 if should_update_field(custom_props.get('youtube_trailer'), info.get('trailer')):
                     custom_props['youtube_trailer'] = extract_string_from_array_or_string(info.get('trailer'))
                     updated = True
                 if should_update_field(custom_props.get('youtube_trailer'), info.get('youtube_trailer')):
                     custom_props['youtube_trailer'] = extract_string_from_array_or_string(info.get('youtube_trailer'))
                     updated = True
-                # Only update backdrop_path if we have a non-empty value and either no existing value or existing value is empty
                 if should_update_field(custom_props.get('backdrop_path'), info.get('backdrop_path')):
                     backdrop_url = extract_string_from_array_or_string(info.get('backdrop_path'))
                     custom_props['backdrop_path'] = [backdrop_url] if backdrop_url else None
                     updated = True
-                # Only update actors if we have a non-empty value and either no existing value or existing value is empty
-                if should_update_field(custom_props.get('actors'), info.get('actors')):
-                    custom_props['actors'] = extract_string_from_array_or_string(info.get('actors'))
-                    updated = True
-                if should_update_field(custom_props.get('actors'), info.get('cast')):
-                    custom_props['actors'] = extract_string_from_array_or_string(info.get('cast'))
-                    updated = True
-                # Only update director if we have a non-empty value and either no existing value or existing value is empty
+                for actors_key in ('actors', 'cast'):
+                    actors_raw = info.get(actors_key)
+                    if should_update_field(custom_props.get('actors'), actors_raw):
+                        if isinstance(actors_raw, list):
+                            custom_props['actors'] = ', '.join(s.strip() for s in actors_raw if s and str(s).strip()) or None
+                        else:
+                            custom_props['actors'] = extract_string_from_array_or_string(actors_raw)
+                        updated = True
+                        break
                 if should_update_field(custom_props.get('director'), info.get('director')):
                     custom_props['director'] = extract_string_from_array_or_string(info.get('director'))
                     updated = True