Keisha Zollar has been in the film and television industry for almost two decades now. She was most recently seen on Stephen Colbert\u2019s animated satirical news show, \u201cTooning Out the News,\u201d as a recurring cast member.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She and her husband, Andrew Kimler, who is also an actor, writer and comedian, say it\u2019s hard to make a living in show business.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI barely qualified for SAG insurance,\u201d Zollar said, referring to the Screen Actors Guild. Fortunately, she said, she also qualifies for insurance from the Writers Guild of America (WGA). \u201cIf it was just acting, I don\u2019t think we could survive.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n \u201c<\/span>There is a huge variation in how much working actors earn, to say nothing of the million-dollar salaries Hollywood\u2019s A-list actors pull in for even one movie. \u201d<\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The couple said they support the current actors and writers\u2019 strikes. Members of SAG-AFTRA \u2014 the union representing more than 170,000 actors and other performers \u2014 went on strike on July 14, while 11,500 WGA members have been on strike for fair pay and treatment since May 2. <\/p>\n The unions are pushing for the fair use of artificial intelligence, stronger regulations for self-taped auditions, better pay, more transparent and generous royalty payments and many other issues related to working conditions.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s the first time since the 1960s that both unions have gone on strike at the same time. The strikes could last a while; the WGA\u2019s previous strike went from November 2007 to February 2008. The actors\u2019 strike in the 1980s lasted for more than 70 days.\u00a0<\/p>\n The average hourly pay for an actor in the U.S. was $36.06 in May 2022 \u2014 but the median hourly pay was $17.94, according to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (The median wage means that 50% of U.S. actors earn an hourly wage at or below $17.94. Many actors also go long stretches between jobs.)<\/p>\n The difference between average and median wages is due, in part, to the huge variation in how much working actors earn, to say nothing of the million-dollar salaries Hollywood\u2019s A-list actors pull in for even one movie. These differences effectively reflect a class gap within the industry, union members and advocates say.\u00a0<\/p>\n Actors must make a minimum of $26,470 in eligible earnings to qualify for health insurance from SAG-AFTRA in 2023, according to the union\u2019s website. But many actors don\u2019t make that much, Zollar said. Meanwhile, the annual minimum income to be eligible for WGA health insurance in 2023 is $41,773.\u00a0<\/p>\n While some members of the actors and writers\u2019 guilds work other jobs such as teaching or waitressing to supplement their income, industry practices can make it hard for them to manage their schedules, experts said. Actors are often expected to keep their schedule open for a given job \u2014 even before production makes a final decision on casting, they say.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a major network and a major show \u2014 union work,\u201d Kimler said. \u201cI haven\u2019t done that show since because of that. That\u2019s not fair. That\u2019s not a sustainable way to live.\u201d<\/p>\n Because of the current strikes, many TV series have been forced to go on hiatus, and movie productions have gone dark. Members of the labor unions are not allowed to promote any of their finished shows, including attending events or posting about their shows on social media.\u00a0<\/p>\n With work opportunities dwindling \u2014 which can be especially hard for those who are just starting out in the industry \u2014 Zollar and Kimler said there are things that artists can do during the strike that can also help prepare them for times when they are between acting jobs.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n \u201c<\/span>\u2018If it was just acting, I don\u2019t think we could survive.\u2019\u201d<\/span>\n <\/p>\n What kind of a living do actors earn?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Leveraging skills during a strike<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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