Depending on the terms in their contracts actors are paid residuals for additional uses of their films. When a film is leased to a streaming service, leased to a television station or released on DVD, Blueray, or their images are used in toys or games, actors are paid residuals. It is the work ...
Residuals are long-term payments to those who worked on films and television shows, negotiated by unions, for reruns and other airings after the initial release. The basic pay structure was developed in 1960, the last time writers and actors were on strike together.
The industry standard is approximately 4-6 weeks from the day you worked, but it can sometimes take up to 3 months. Commercials and corporate jobs often don't pay until after 90 days from the invoice. All payments will be made by BACS directly into your bank account.
By the 13th rerun, the royalty amount is reduced to 5% of the actor's original payment, and goes on in perpetuity, never dipping below that amount. For projects put up on new media, or streaming services, the 13th “rerun” is counted as the 13th year of streaming.
Residuals are the closest thing actors will experience to passive income. Once the initial production has wrapped, actors can continue to receive payments for years to come, even if they are not actively working on new projects.
10 Ways to Make Money Acting | How Do Actors Get Paid?
Do actors no longer get residuals?
An actor can expect a residual check once a show or movie re-airs on cable or a streaming service, or sells via DVD or VOD. For streamers like Max and Disney+, initial compensation covers the first 90 days a show or film is aired.
So, do all actors get paid for reruns? According to the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, some do, and some don't. For principal performers, royalties can lead to long-term payoffs that trump the original salary.
Due to the unpredictable nature of TV acting and the competitive nature of landing roles, actors traditionally rely on residual payments, paid out when films or movies are replayed, as a form of steady income when work is hard to come by.
One of the most common ways actors survive financially is by diversifying their income streams. Many actors take on additional jobs, such as waiting tables, bartending, or working in retail, to supplement their income between acting gigs. This allows them to have a steady cash flow while pursuing their acting career.
What is the difference between royalties and residuals?
“Royalties are a separate agreement between production companies and actors, directors, producers and writers." In other words, residuals are part of collective bargaining by industry unions while royalties are negotiated for on a deal-by-deal basis.
If you are an actor just starting out, you can expect to make the minimum salary as stipulated by SAG-AFTRA or Actors' Equity. Once you land an agent, they can walk you through how much you can expect to make and where you might see a pay bump.
Actors (other than background actors) get paid again when a performance is rerun. In TV's past, those payments ended after a certain number of replays; now they can go on forever — making those “Law & Order” reruns an annuity for the actors. As for how much the performers are paid, it varies.
Understudying roles also comes with additional pay. Swings, who understudy multiple ensemble tracks, earn $116.15 over the performer minimum, or $20 if a performer is only a partial swing. Understudying principal roles can add $60 to the weekly salary, while understudying chorus roles adds $17.50.
While the exact amount isn't actually known, cast members have revealed that the reruns pay them 6% of their original salaries. If a star made a mere $150,000 per episode across all 20 seasons, that would come in around $200,000 per year in royalties.
Making a living as an actor is not impossible—but it is very, very difficult. Acting is not a steady, salaried gig in which you'll know exactly how much money you have coming in each month. You'll need to take a very different approach to your finances than someone working a traditional 9-to-5 job.
If you're fortunate to be working as an actor usually life is pretty good. It's mostly well paid work, when on film or TV, and the people you work with are mostly passionate and friendly. Most actors live a combination of both lives, which can also be tough. The oscillation can be draining.
Actors work 10 to 20 hours a day, six days a week when they are starring in a main role. Supporting actors can expect to work around 30 hours a week. It largely depends on the role, filming schedule, and film studio.
A study published in Nature Communications looked at data that discovered only 2% of all actors make a living from the profession and about 90% are unemployed at any time throughout the year.
When you're an A-Lister, or even a B-Lister, life can be pretty good. You don't have to audition. You don't have to fight and claw your way into a film... at least most of the time that is. You're likely making pretty good money.
Let's delve into the various ways actors earn money during their downtime. 1. Residuals and Royalties: Actors receive residuals and royalties when their work is aired or distributed beyond its initial release.
The pay is called “top-of-show.” That's the most a show will pay for a guest star actor, unless that person is a name. On network TV, the rate for a one-hour drama is currently $9,522 (eight days of work) and half-hour comedies pay $5,951 (five days of work).
One of the key issues in the SAG-AFTRA strike is the payments to actors from streaming services. As it stands right now, actors are not getting residuals from their work being exhibited on streaming services like when their show is on linear platforms.
