I was a Hollywood actor on A-list TV shows with huge stars – now I clean houses and do odd jobs to make money
HOLLYWOOD actor Josh Hooks has revealed that he has been forced to take up cleaning jobs in order to make ends meet as the writer’s strike continues to take over the US TV and film industry.
Josh has appeared in a slew of popular US shows such as Will Trent, The Game and Swagger.
It has seen him work alongside actors such as Ramon Rodriguez, Ice Cube’s son O’Shea Jackson Jr. and Wendy Robinson.
However, he has now admitted that he has been left without any acting work, and therefore any income, as the writers’ strike continues to affect Hollywood.
The 43 year old looked set to have an epic year after landing roles in a number of upcoming TV productions as well as winning a part in a Lifetime movie.
But Josh has been forced to take up domestic cleaning duties in order to keep him afloat and able to pay all of his bills.
Speaking on TMZ Live, Josh opened up about his future and how he is currently getting by day-by-day.
He said: “There’s been a lot of time spent on Craigslist, looking for gigs.
“Fortunately, myself, I’m sort of a carpenter, a handyman and I’m highly skilled at domestic work.
“So, I’ve been fortunate to be hired for cleaning apartments, I’ve probably done eight or ten now over the past several weeks.”
Josh added that he and his actor pals have rallied around one another in order to offer up support as they find themselves living in uncertain times.
He added: “We are figuring out how to scrape by until this all is behind us and the dust has settled.”
Josh also expressed how his current frustration and position is similar to that of when the Covid pandemic first hit and shut down production on a number of shows.
He landed a number of roles toward the end of 2019 but many of his plans changed upon the lockdown imposed on the world.
The Writers Guild of America strike is the ongoing dispute between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
The strike officially began on May 2, 2023, after the WGA and AMPTP could not reach an agreement on a new three-year film TV contract to replace one that expired on May 1.
The possibility of a strike was already hinted back in March, with the WGA announcing on April 17 that 97.85% of its members voted in favor.
More than 11,000 writers are participating in this protest from several studios, including Netflix, Paramount, and HBO.
Television host Stephen Colbert said on a May 1 episode of The Late Show: “Unions are the reason we have weekends, and by extension why we have TGI Fridays.”
Comedian and television host Jimmy Fallon told Variety at the Met Gala: “I wouldn’t have a show if it wasn’t for my writers, I support them all the way.”