All articles tagged with #residuals
After three decades in Hollywood, Oppenheimer actor David Krumholtz says he is taking an indefinite break from acting, citing frustration with how actors are treated and paid, fear of going broke, and the push to self-promote on social media; he’ll consider future roles if the right project comes along and notes dwindling residuals from The Santa Clause amid industry changes.
Sean Astin says his Lord of the Rings earnings totaled around $250,000 for playing Samwise Gamgee (about $75,000 per film) with no residuals, a figure that didn’t match the level of attention he received, which led him to sell his home to cover mortgage and insurance costs. He’s since become financially comfortable and says he would renegotiate pay if given the chance.
Former Nickelodeon child star Jennifer Hyatt Tedmori shared a video showing penny-sized residual checks from Ned’s Declassified and a 90210 appearance, illustrating how little actors earn on reruns with some checks only a few cents, though she did accumulate $8.63 from Ned’s and $30.06 across both Nickelodeon roles, highlighting ongoing concerns about TV royalties.
Jennifer Hyatt Tedmori, who appeared on Ned's Declassified, shares a stack of residual checks she received years after filming, many worth only pennies. She notes a Ned's Declassified total of $8.63 and about $30.06 from 90210, among numerous two-cent and cent-level payments, highlighting how tiny ongoing royalties can be for former child actors.
Jake Johnson discusses The Dink, including training with Brad Gilbert and kissing Mary Steenburgen, while reflecting on New Girl's 15th anniversary and the industry shift toward creator‑driven projects and fewer residuals. He outlines his current and upcoming work (Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, Sunset P.I., and a Cable Guy pilot) and explains how today’s era gives actors more ownership. He also shares Tom Cruise’s yearly gingerbread-house gift and his admiration for Cruise as a movie star.
Former Who’s the Boss? child star Danny Pintauro said on Pod Meets World that his Amazon Flex delivery job is just one of about five gigs he’s juggling to pay the bills, since residuals from his old sitcom aren’t enough and acting work is slow. He notes the shifts pay around $80–$100 for two to three hours, and he emphasizes that gig work is how many people survive, after past fan attention when he worked at the Gap following the show’s end.
An actor from Scream 2 reveals shockingly low residuals from the film, highlighting the disparity between iconic horror status and earnings. The piece also touches on broader franchise news, noting Scream 7’s strong box office performance (over $200 million), ongoing talks of a Scream 8, and Neve Campbell’s return to the franchise after skipping Scream VI.
Eve Plumb reveals that The Brady Bunch cast received zero residuals from reruns due to pre-1975 rules that limited payments to the first 10 reruns; Susan Olsen said her last check was in 1975 and Barry Williams recalled a final-season pay of about $1,100 per week (roughly $24,000 for 22 episodes), highlighting how the cast fared far worse than later stars like Friends, which reportedly earns about $20 million a year in residuals.
Eve Plumb reveals she earns virtually no residuals from Brady Bunch reruns, underscoring how streaming has diminished actor pay since the show's run; the piece also threads through other celebrities’ pay stories—from Friends to SNL to film debuts—illustrating a wide, often unpredictable spectrum of residuals in the current era.
The SAG-AFTRA board approved a four-year contract with the major studios, including a plan to merge the union’s two pension funds on January 1, 2028, backed by a 1% hike in contributions to stabilize the merged fund; the agreement also expands streaming residuals funding from 25% to 35%, adds AI guardrails (no guaranteed union-fund payments for synthetic characters unless there’s clear value, with arbitration to enforce terms), and raises most minimums by 3% annually. Members will vote to ratify after webinars and mail instructions, amid ongoing concerns from some beneficiaries that the merger could weaken the pension, while proponents say it benefits those with earnings split between plans.
Lisa Kudrow says she felt like the ‘sixth Friend’ and overlooked next to the show's bigger stars, triggering backlash from co-stars and rumors she might be cut from Jennifer Aniston’s wedding to Jim Curtis; Kudrow later revealed the cast earns about $20 million per year in residuals, a fact that has drawn further scrutiny and upset among former colleagues.
Jodie Sweetin revealed on a podcast that her latest Full House residual check was just one cent, underscoring how streaming has displaced traditional syndication royalties and made residuals unreliable, while she remains open to revisiting the role and reflects on the show's lasting impact and her sobriety journey.
Jodie Sweetin disclosed on The McBride Rewind that a recent Full House residual check was just one cent, illustrating how streaming has gutted traditional syndication pay. She notes that when shows live on streaming, payments are unpredictable and often scarce, a point SAG-AFTRA has highlighted as residuals decline. Sweetin, who also starred in Fuller House, says she leads a modest life—driving a used 2023 Hyundai, renting her home, and having maxed out some credit cards—and leaves the door open to returning to the franchise in the future.
Lisa Kudrow says she and the Friends cast continue to earn about $20 million per year in residuals from the NBC sitcom that premiered in 1994. The show’s enduring popularity—topped by massive weekly viewership and a finale with tens of millions watching—has kept the payouts coming into the present. Kudrow hadn’t watched the series until after Matthew Perry’s death in 2023, and she shared behind‑the‑scenes anecdotes about the show and its cast during recent interviews.
Jodie Sweetin revealed she recently received a one-cent residual check for her role as Stephanie Tanner on Full House, saying there’s no syndication anymore because everything’s streaming. She notes streaming residuals are unpredictable and that she leads a normal life—driving a 2023 Hyundai Sonata, renting, and relying on day jobs at times. She later reunited with her Full House cast on the Netflix revival Fuller House, which ran from 2016–2020.