When one imagines the life of a Hollywood actor, we often picture glitz, glamour, and sizable residual checks from hugely successful shows. However, the reality for most if not all couldn't be further from this romanticized vision as illuminated by Mandy Moore's recent revelations amid the ongoing Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike.
The 39-year-old actor, who most recently starred as Rebecca Pearson in the hit NBC drama, This Is Us, shocked fans when she disclosed receiving residuals as low as 81 cents and even a single penny from the show's streaming deal with Hulu.
Moore's revelations underscore the deep-seated issue of inadequate residual payments. These royalty checks rewarded to actors for repeat airings of a TV show or movie were once a lucrative income stream. Unfortunately, the shift to streaming platforms turned the once-stable revenue source for actors into something much less reliable.
As Moore told the Hollywood Reporter from the picket lines at Disney in Burbank, California, "The residual issue is a huge issue. We're in incredibly fortunate positions as working actors having been on shows that found tremendous success...but many actors in our position for years before us were able to live off of residuals or at least pay their bills."
