One of the key issues for actors (and writers) during the strike was residuals from streaming, or the lack thereof. Before streaming, actors could work on a TV show and rely on payments for any re-airings of episodes they featured on. This income source enabled most of the jobbing guild members to make an actual living. Residual payments allowed many artists to stay afloat during dry spells. But until this year, the contracts had never been updated to account for streaming, which left most actors high and dry. Actors like Jake Johnson, who broke through with his role of Nick Miller on New Girl. Jake is on the promo trail for his new movie Self Reliance (more on that later), and had a somewhat perplexing answer when Rolling Stone asked if he received streaming residuals for his work on the hit show:
Though the SAG-AFTRA strike may be over, the conversation around actors being compensated for their old shows airing on streaming platforms has not gone away.
On Tuesday, Jake Johnson shared his thoughts on the topic during an interview with Rolling Stone. Jake, who was promoting his new film Self Reliance that he directed, was asked by the publication if the cast of New Girl received streaming residuals.
“No. No, we’re not,” the actor said before explaining his “mixed” feelings about residuals and acting opportunities after starring on a hit TV show, like New Girl.
New Girl ended a successful seven-season run in 2018. The show received five Emmy and five Golden Globe nominations and has been heralded as a bingeable staple in the years following its run. For awhile, old seasons of the show were streaming on Netflix. Currently, the show is no longer on Netflix but available to stream on Peacock and Hulu.
Jake noted to Rolling Stone that “the game has so fundamentally changed” regarding the finances of coming off starring in a hit TV show.
“Back in the day, if you did a big TV show and everyone knew you from it, it was really hard to get other roles. Now, if you haven’t done a big show that people know you from, it’s really hard to get roles,” he said, noting that New Girl’s success influenced his pay on his follow-up TV show, the short-lived series Stumptown.
“So, I can do a show called Stumptown for two seasons — we only filmed one, but we got paid for two because it was a pandemic killer — but because of New Girl, they’re willing to pay me a huge fee to be on it to try to connect to that show. Without New Girl I’m not getting that,” he said.
“We don’t get the residuals the way we used to, but there are so many other opportunities now,” he continued. “I feel really kind of mixed. I wish we still got those old checks, but they don’t advertise on those shows the way they used to. It’s not the clean line that old TV and syndication used to be, and I hope the new deal helps with that.”
I do not follow his logic here. It sounds like he has mixed feelings about casting — or more accurately, typecasting — more than about residuals. He talks about the struggle to diversify your roles once the public starts to see you a certain way. Many (successful) actors have ruminated on this conundrum. But how is it affected by, you know, getting paid for your work?! Then he continues with “but I wouldn’t get work if they didn’t know me from a hit show, and in fact they paid me more for my next gig because of my hit show.” You’re confusing me, Jake!
The film Jake is out promoting, Self Reliance, is his directorial debut, and he wrote and stars in it as well. This movie sounds bonkers in a potentially winning way. The premise is, Jake’s character gets tapped to be on a reality show for the dark web where everyone tries to kill him, but they can’t if he’s with other people. If he survives, he wins $1 million. Anna Kendrick is in it, too, along with Andy Samberg as “himself.” Self Reliance will be on Hulu in January, and I imagine Jake would like to be paid for his acting, writing, and directing efforts based on how well it streams.
photos credit: Jeffrey Mayer / Avalon and via Instagram
I think it makes sense – obviously he’d like residuals, but since he can’t have them he’s highlighting how he continues to benefit from New Girl in other ways, including other types of financial ways.
Hmm., and he is saying that they don’t advertise on the streaming platforms? Well, they do on Hulu and Peacock, so some of his logic is faulty. However, I get that he is seeing a silver lining and doesn’t want to complain. Let the union do that.
He’s weighing exposure versus money. I’m sure the exposure if you were looking up to get on a big show is great, and leads to much more work, but people should still be paid residuals no matter what. Really glad they got that worked out with the new contract
It sounds like he’s internalized some producer/studio party line
“Well no, we’re not going to pay you residuals or share any of the ongoing profits we make off your work year after year after year, but you would have never become known if we didn’t hire you in the first place”
But whether or not a performer gets work or other opportunities doesn’t change the fact that *someone* is continuing to make money off those previous projects. And I don’t see studios, producers falling all over themselves to make residual payments to actors who don’t get hired again for stuff.
There’s not making waves, being strategic and then there’s parroting someone else’s BS.
Yup. The exposure idea is more like “aren’t you so lucky to have gotten this job, stop complaining, be thankful for the exposure.” While the streamers rake in billions.
What he was saying is that streaming didn’t use to have ads. Netflix and the others just bought the show for a length of time. The same as if you bought a DVD. So they shouldn’t have to pay residuals then. But now streaming is basically the same as network tv. What with all their ads. I’m not really for residuals period though. Why should it work for actors but not everybody else. Is the cameraman paid residuals. Or the makeup artists, or set decorators. I’m not putting down the acting profession. But why are they put above everybody else that make a tv show special. Plus horrible actors get residuals the same as great ones.
The logic makes sense. Yes cashing big residuals checks after being on a successful TV show like the old days would still preferred, but as a consolation being “New Girl”s Jake Johnson has created more opportunities at a higher rate of pay than not ever being on a hit show at all
What he’s saying: if not for his casting on New Girl, and I’m willing to guess that specifically the iconic 1st kiss between Jake Johnson and Zooey Deschanel on New Girl, he thinks he would not have the career he has now.
Not everyone involved in a TV show is so lucky. Many actors are 1-shot wonders and they absolutely desrve to get paid if their shows are being rewatched via streaming. Jake Johnson deserves to get paid for that, too, but I understand what he’s saying. I own a small business and when I first started I offered low prices to my clients just to get my foot in the door, get reviews, get word of mouth going. It’s kind of like that, but for actors.