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Your favorite actor has been fired. Budget cutbacks, they say. So how does all this contract stuff work? Here's a brief overview.
Contracts are made to be broken. A standard contract will have an out-clause on 13 week cycles. This protects the show in the event an actor or character isn't working out, or storyline dictates the character being written off. Actors can also ask to be released to pursue other opportunities. Out, out darn spot! Occasionally, but rarely, an actor has an out-option. They can give notice and the show has to recast or write the character out. This isn't the same as a contract that has ended and the actor elected not to stay with the show. It's been nice knowing you. Sometimes shows will not renew a contract although the actor wants to stay. What good is a contract anyway? Many reasons, both for the show and the actor. For the actor, it's a guaranteed paycheck. For the show, they're guaranteed an actor will be available. This means they can comfortably write for a character and not worry about them leaving. The fine print. Usually a contract has a number of "guarantee" days. This means the show will give the actor so many days a week of work for a certain amount of money. If the contract says they'll work three days a week and they work five, they get paid for the two extra days. If you only work one day that week, they get paid for three days of work. The piggy bank. Let's say there is a contract actor with a three-day guarantee. During his many years of story he'd work that or more. But now it's contract renewal time. The character hasn't been used but one day a week for awhile. Of course the show wants to renegotiate the contract to save money. Sometimes the actor agrees, sometimes the show gives in, sometimes the show and actor part ways. Fans lose a character that has been around for awhile, but hey, money talks. And then there's recurring. Recurring can be good and it can bad for both sides. With recurring status the actor gets paid for only the days they work, so the show saves money, but the actor has no guaranteed paycheck. However, if the show wants an actor and they're not available, the show loses out.. Putting a price on love. The longer you're with the show, the more you make. The show could hire two (or more) actors for the same amount of money. With so much history and character development, keeping veteran actors in roles is a bonus for them and us. It adds to a show's continuity. However, for the show, it's expensive. Look at it this way. To them it's a business. To us, it's family. If we did put a price on family members, we probably couldn't afford to keep them! |
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