From 2016 to 2022, Mandy Moore made us cry, laugh and believe in love again as the fearlessly strong Rebecca Pearson in This Is Us. And though her role received critical acclaim, including an Emmy nomination in 2019 and Critics Choice Award nod in 2023, only loyal watchers know how brilliant and scene-stealing Moore was on that show.
And though all of that is true, Moore recently opened up about how her incredible work isn’t reflected in her residuals from the show. In fact, speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at the SAG-AFTRA strike on July 18, Moore said her profits from the show are now “very tiny.”
“The residual issue is a huge issue,” Moore told the outlet from the Disney picket line in Burbank. “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.”
Now, per Moore, she receives “very tiny, like 81-cent checks” from her hit NBC show that also streams on Hulu. “I was talking with my business manager who said he’s received a residual for a penny and two pennies,” she added.
Alongside Moore at the picket line was Katie Lowes, who starred in a total of 124 episodes of the hit ABC show Scandal, which also streams on 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 told the outlet. “And that’s just not a reality anymore. The entire model has changed.”
As previously reported, the SAG-AFTRA strike, which started on July 13, is asking for a better residual payments model as well as better working conditions for actors.
In addition to Moore and Lowes, many other stars have joined their fellow actors on the picket lines. Among the stars supporting the union are Jason Sudeikis, Allison Janney, Ginnifer Goodwin, Yvette Nicole Brown, Bob Odenkirk and many others.
Before you go, click here to see all the celebrities who supported the SAG-AFTRA & WGA strikes.
