Mandy Moore has recently claimed that she once got paid one single penny in This Is Us streaming revenue.
Amidst the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, which started after the actors' union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) were unable to reach terms for a new contract, the 39-year-old has been vocal about her experiences in the industry.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter from the front lines of one of the public protests in Burbank, the actress said This Is Us streaming revenue only earns her between a measly penny to 81 cents from Disney's streaming deal with Hulu.
"The residual issue is a huge issue," Moore told the outlet alongside former Scandal star Katie Lowes. "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."
Moore continued, telling reporters how she received "very tiny, like 81-cent checks" for the streaming profits for This Is Us.
"I was talking with my business manager who said he’s received a residual for a penny and two pennies," she said.
Lowes echoed a similar story saying that hasn’t received anything substantial from Disney for Scandal’s streaming deals with Netflix or Hulu.
"If you are someone who has been fortunate enough in our positions to do 120-plus episodes of a successful show in previous years — 10, 15, 20 years ago — that re-airing would be the thing that could sustain you on years where I did this smaller project or I wanted to go do a play or you have kids and you have a family to provide for," Lowes stated.
"And that just not a reality anymore. The entire model has changed," she added.
After Moore's comments garnered her some media attention, she took to her Instagram to provide her 5.5 million fans with some more "clarity" on the "nuanced issue" at hand.
"Striking isn’t fun," she wrote in the caption of a post which showed a headline of one of her comments. "No one hoped it would come to this and I know everyone involved is hopeful for a resolution soon so folks can get back to work. The trickle-down effect felt across so many industries is already devastating."
She continued: "There are plenty of issues that are gumming up the wheels (transparency with data, wage increases, residuals, ai, etc...) and I spoke about one that happened to be top of my mind because of a conversation I’d been having while picketing."
The Tangled star then went on to acknowledge that she is "profoundly lucky" to be in the position that she's in but she is committed to helping those whose voices go unheard due to the intensity of the industry.
"I fully acknowledge the profoundly lucky and rarified position I’m in as an actor at this moment, one that I don’t take for granted and one I also don’t assume to be in forever," she said. "...I’ve had very lean years where I couldn’t get a job and those are precisely the moments when in years past, actors could rely on residuals from their past work to help them get by. The world and business have changed and I’m hoping we can find a meaningful solution moving forward.
"I am one person - a tiny part of our guild - and while I am happy to use whatever platform my past jobs have given me to speak to issues effecting my fellow @sagaftra family, I know my experience is my own," she added before concluding: "Here’s hoping we get a fair contract soon so we can get back to doing the jobs we all love and miss so much."
Moore was joined by her This Is Us costars Chrissy Metz and Jon Huerta on Friday during a strike. The trio took a selfie that the actress later posted to Instagram alongside the caption: "...Proud to stand with my fellow @sagaftra and @wgawest members demanding a fair contract."
