I’m a Hollywood actor on one of Netflix’s biggest shows – but I get paid so little I work two side jobs
ONE actor – who starred in a plethora of Netflix shows – has hit out at Hollywood for the lack of fair pay in the industry.
The performer has opened up about his experience as a working actor as he revealed that despite his huge fame, he still holds a side job.
Luke Cook, 36, has starred in various huge shows such as the smash-hit Netflix series The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Dynasty and Hulu’s Dollface.
But he recently took to TikTok in a video where he explained more on why 160,000 members of SAG-Aftra are on strike.
One user commented: “Nothing like millionaires striking to be even bigger millionaires.”
However, he replied that most actors in the union do not live the life of luxury as they actually need other jobs to live.
Luke explained: “I drive a 2010 Mazda S3. My previous car was a 2006 Ford Taurus. 95% of the actors in SAG cannot make a living from acting. They’ve gotta have side hustles, etc. I am one of those actors.”
“So the actors that you are thinking of who are the millionaires are usually series regulars or big A-listers in big movies,”
“The actors who surround them though, or actors like myself, guest stars, co-stars, et cetera. And we’re paid chips.”
He also said that despite his image being included in huge marketing promotions, he doesn’t earn any more form this.
Luke said: “I did a show called Dollface last year. They put me on a billboard on Sunset [Boulevard]. Do you know how much they paid me to be on the billboard? Zero.”
“The amount they paid me to be on the show was not much better.”
“I live in Los Angeles and I have two kids,”
“I got paid per episode, which is 2 weeks of work, $7,500. Then it’s taxed, then a manager takes 10%, an agent takes 10% and a lawyer takes 5%.”
The actor also clarifies that although most of the big Hollywood names will not be largely affected, he insists that all the supporting actors are asking for a fairer share.
He added: “Your favourite actor probably won’t be too affected by this deal.
“Everybody else who surrounds them, who enables them to play the roles that they get to play, who play the smaller roles that surround them, are asking for a better payday.
“As someone who’s a battler, and I always have a side job, I think it’d be great to get paid money to be in your favourite shows.
“That just seems fair to me. Like if you see me on TV, I shouldn’t have to have two side jobs just in order to survive.”
The star also insists that if he was forced to, he could “live on carrots and water,” but he’s concerned the strikes will continue to the point that it will “starve us out.”
He also worried that he would loose his SAG health insurance as it also covers his wife Kara and their two young sons Chaplin and Ozzie.