Mandy Moore and Katie Lowes are two of the many actors who have been protesting the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. The strike began on July 14, 2022, after the union said they did not reach a “fair” deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
One of the main issues that the strike is focusing on is streaming residuals. Moore and Lowes have both spoken out about how little they have been paid in streaming residuals for their work on popular shows like “This Is Us” and “Scandal.”
Moore told The Hollywood Reporter that she has received “pennies” on her streaming residual checks for “This Is Us.” She said that her business manager has even received residuals for a penny and two pennies. Lowes said that she has “not received anything substantial” in streaming residuals from Disney’s streaming deals with Netflix and Hulu.
Both Moore and Lowes believe that streaming residuals are a crucial part of an actor’s livelihood. They say that streaming has changed the way that people watch TV, and that actors need to be compensated fairly for their work.
“The residual issue is a huge issue,” Moore said. “We’re in incredibly fortunate positions as working actors having been on shows that found tremendous success in one way or another … but many actors in our position for years before us were able to live off of residuals or at least pay their bills.”
The SAG-AFTRA strike is still ongoing, and it is unclear when it will end. However, Moore and Lowes are hopeful that the strike will be successful and that streaming residuals will be addressed.
“We’re not going to stop until we get a fair contract,” Lowes said. “We’re not going to stop until we get what we deserve.”
The strike has the potential to have a significant impact on the entertainment industry. If the strike is successful, it could lead to higher streaming residuals for actors. This would mean that actors would be able to earn more money from their work, which would help to ensure that they are fairly compensated for their contributions to the industry.