The ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike has already caused millions of damage to the upcoming Hollywood projects including ‘The Talk‘, ‘Saturday Night Live‘, and late-night programs presented by Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert and many others. It is now anticipated that the strike will affect the upcoming award shows, events, premieres, and film festivals around the world including the Venice and Toronto film festivals and the 75th Emmys.
Along with that, it has also brought to light the earning of actors working on the film and TV series as well as their streaming residuals. Tommy Dorfman who played Ryan Shaver in ’13 Reasons Why’ is a new addition to the growing list of actors sharing their experiences with unfair pay.
Related: Is ‘Stranger Things’ Final Season Going To Get Delayed Because Of Writers Strike?
Tommy Dorfman Reveals Poor Salary For First ’13 Reasons Why’ Season 1
Tommy Dorfman is best known for playing Ryan Shaver in Netflix’s hit series ’13 Reasons Why’ appearing in the first two seasons and the fourth season. Recently Dorfman disclosed that their total earnings for the first season of the Netflix series amounted to $29,953.24 before deducting agency and manager fees amounting to 20% and taxes on Threads. They emphasized that this amount was only for eight episodes over six months further highlighting the rigorous work put forth by them into the show including series promotion and traveling between San Francisco and New York City for each episode.
Tommy Dorfman also clarified that her earnings meant that they “were barely qualified for insurance” despite being a significant part of the program. Dorfman also added, “I did all of the promo and had KEY ART for this show, flew round trip from NYC to SF to shoot for every episode, was kept for days without pay/working. I barely qualified for insurance. Within the first 28 days of release, the show’s season 1 garnered a total of 476 million view hours. This is why we strike. @sagaftra”.
‘13 Reasons Why’ star Tommy Dorfman reveals her earnings for the entire first season of the hit show were $29,953 and she barely qualified for insurance:
— Pop Base (@PopBase) July 25, 2023
“within the first 28 days of release, the show’s season 1 garnered a total of 476 million view hours. this is why we strike.” pic.twitter.com/qc05hsbfFw
In case you missed: Why Hollywood Writers Are On Strike?
Actors On Their Struggle With Streaming Services
Tommy Dorfman is not the only actress facing struggles with fair pay in Hollywood. ‘This is Us’ actress Mandy Moore recently shared her own struggles with the streaming residuals. During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Moore revealed that “I was talking with my business manager who said he’s received a residual for a penny and two pennies”. Also, Sean Gunn, the brother of James Gunn expressed disappointment in his residuals for the show ‘Gilmore Girls’ streaming on Netflix stating that he has seen little to nothing in return.
As streaming platforms continue to dominate the entertainment industry, it is only fair for the actors to receive fair pay for their contributions. On 24 July, Dwayne Johson reportedly donated a seven-figure amount to the union as a way to help the people who have been the victim during the strikes. The aftermath of the strike will have far-reaching implications for the future of actor compensation. It has the potential to reshape the industry and establish new standards that prioritize fair pay and working conditions for the actors.
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