Residuals are payments made over the long term to actors and other theatrical workers when a TV show or movie is rerun or aired after its original release.
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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.
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.
You do not need to be a member of the union to receive SAG residuals. However, only principal performers working on SAG contracts receive SAG royalties; background actors don't receive residual checks. Principal performers include: Principal speaking roles.
“You get nothing. Residual checks on shows are nothing. If you're doing a show and you're not an executive producer and own it, then you get residuals which can amount to checks from $2 to $2,000.” (Saget died in 2022.)
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.
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.
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.
Residuals still do get paid out, but traditional residuals have been replaced on streaming services with lower, less frequent fees, and not all streamers are upfront about their viewership numbers.
In general, only "principal performers" receive residuals [source: Andres]. Background actors or "extras" (random storm troopers on "The Mandalorian," for instance) do not usually receive residuals.
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.
Sheen was predicted to make $100 million alone off royalties per year. However, in 2016, things took a major change. According to the Associated Press, Charlie sold his profit participation, and suddenly his pay went down to $27 million. Although this isn't anything to scoff at, it is quite the deduction.
Fees paid to actors on mainstream television have been based on a "residuals" system since 1961. For every repeat on ITV, billed actors receive 100 per cent of their original fee, for BBC repeats, they receive 80 per cent.
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.
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.
Residuals are payments made over the long term to actors and other theatrical workers when a TV show or movie is rerun or aired after its original release.
As a part of that deal, he got a bigger slice of the money the show made in syndication. For that reason, Sheen continues to make a lot of money off Two and a Half Men. In fact, collider.com estimates that he has made around $20 million from the show's reruns alone since Two and a Half Men aired its finale.
If actors are paid directly from production for a booking and/or for residuals, it is the actor's responsibility to pay the commission to the agent, unless otherwise directed by the agent (in some rare instances, the agency fee is paid directly to the agent).
It's not like he needs it, but George Clooney reportedly earns about $13 million every year just from reruns of “ER,” on which he played Dr. Doug Ross.
Do celebrities get paid when they appear in a talk show, such as Ellen, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, etc.? Absolutely! They always get paid for their time because of the union they're in (SAG/AFTRA). Every time you see them on TV/film they're getting paid.
Extras do not. All actors with dialogue are paid residuals* EVERYTIME the show airs or that episode generates revenue (stream, DVD, new rights, etc …). This includes the leads who might've made $1mm originally from that episode … they get more residuals** than the guy who has two lines).
In return, producers agreed to pay residuals on all films made in 1960 and afterward, and the Guild accepted a payment of $2.25 million to form a pension and health plan. SAG and AFTRA members have been collecting residuals ever since.
Generally speaking, for screen work, actors are paid a day rate. If they are needed for more than five days, they are paid a weekly rate. Rates vary if actors are needed for the entirety of the film shoot or the entirety of a television season. Television actors can also be paid per episode.
