About five years ago, I represented an actor who was a series regular on a network show. He was part of an ensemble that solved crimes and his character was the comic relief. For the sake of simplicity, let’s call him Dummy.
The show wasn’t a hit, but it was successful enough to be picked up for a second season. This was a total surprise and I was thrilled. But guess who wasn’t? Dummy. He decided it was time to have his contract renegotiated because he was making significantly less than the other cast members, all of whom were more experienced. And in my defense, when those other actors signed on, they had quotes from previous shows. My client was a newbie.
Now, here’s the thing. When an actor becomes a series regular, the terms of the contract are locked in for six years. But this is the entertainment industry, so if the show turns into a massive hit like “The Big Bang Theory,” all those deal points go right out the window and the studio will gladly renegotiate the actor’s compensation. Why? Because the cast is a driving force behind any show’s success and they deserve to share in the profit.
READ: ‘Big Bang’ star Melissa Rauch on creating your own
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