A veteran actor who has worked in Hollywood for over three decades has exposed the tiny amount of money he got paid in his latest cheque.
William Stanford Davis, who plays Mr Johnson, the janitor, in the Emmy Award winning show, Abbott Elementary, shared a video to Instagram showing the amount he got in residual payments – which are paid after the show or film comes out.
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“I’ve been a screen actor for 35 years. I’ve been in the [Screen Actor’s] Guild about 32 years,” he prefaced the video before holding up the cheque, letting it “speak for itself”.
The cheque states a gross total of five US cents (75 cents) as his earnings for a past project, which he did not name.
After taxes, it would amount to three cents (approx. 45 cents), he clarified.
“The postage and paper, everything costs more than that. That’s what they think of us as actors,” said Davis, 71.
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“There ain’t nothing funny about a [three cent] residual check! What are we supposed to do with that?” he added in the caption.
“This is why we’re on strike. On strike for better wages, for better residuals, for a piece of the subscription and to not give in to AI,” the Ray Donovan star continued.
“I stand in solidarity with the writers. And we will strike until we get what it is that we need to make a living as actors
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“I stand strong with our union as we fight for what’s ours and for the success of the future generations.”
Fans showed their support in the comment section.
“That’s so disrespectful… keep up the fight,” encouraged one.
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“Now that’s what I call TRASH,” said another, quoting Davis’ character in Abbott Elementary, “We stand in solidarity.”
“Almost everyone understands the average actor does not make a lot of money, maybe not even enough to survive, and gets no benefits either. We know the stars don’t represent the 160,000 actors we need to make our favorite shows,” said one supporter.
“We all remember how important entertainment was during the lockdown. Our favorite shows kept us company. This AI thing has to go DOWN. No one can be allowed to ‘own’ another person’s likeness in perpetuity without paying that person a lotta money.”
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The video comes amid ongoing strikes from actors and writers.
The US film and television industry came to a screeching halt as the Writer’s Guild of America began striking almost three months ago.
The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists – began striking ten days ago.
The strike bars union members from participating in production of movies or TV shows, taking part in promotion – as seen when the Oppenheimer cast walked off their premiere red carpet halfway through – and no award shows can take place.
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