Actor Jason Earles, famously known for his role in 'Hannah Montana', discloses Disney handed him the least favorable contract of his life.
In an open conversation on the 'Night School' podcast, actor Jason Earles, famous for his role as Jackson on the hit series Hannah Montana, shared some hard-hitting truths about his work experience with Disney.
Jason candidly spoke about the seemingly lucrative pay at first but a tricky contract that eventually left him losing out on substantial extra income from reruns and royalties. He explained, "They're good-paying jobs, but the deal I got on 'Hannah Montana' was under an AFTRA basic cable agreement before SAG and AFTRA merged."
This types of contract, Jason explained, was the absolute worst for an actor like him. He continued, "Because of this, I wasn't able to make much from residuals. They basically kept the initial residual payment because they paid me above scale. It was like getting double screwed."
Under this agreement, even though the initial pay was $10,000 as opposed to the standard $5,000 (for series regulars), each subsequent airing was only counted as one, even if it aired multiple times in a 24-hour period.
Despite the unfavorable arrangements, Jason expressed gratitude for the opportunities Hannah Montana provided to his career. He conceded that, despite the show's mammoth success, he didn't receive the financial compensation he believed he deserved. Yet, Jason remained positive, acknowledging that he's faring better than many others in the industry.
In the broader context, AFTRA basic cable agreements have significant impacts on actors' earning potential from reruns and royalties, particularly for shows airing on family-oriented networks like Disney Channel. To earn optimal residuals, actors rely on collective bargaining agreements, such as those ensured by SAG-AFTRA, to secure fair residuals. The amount of these residuals can vary based on the terms negotiated during production. As streaming becomes more prevalent, the residuals from these platforms may contribute significantly to an actor's long-term earnings.
- Jason Earles, who played Jackson on Hannah Montana, is thankful for the opportunities the show provided his career, but laments not receiving the financial compensation he felt he deserved.
- Despite the initial pay of $10,000 for his role in Hannah Montana, Jason wasn't able to make much from residuals due to the AFTRA basic cable agreement.
- The seemingly favorable initial pay in Jason's contract actually led to less money from residuals, because each subsequent airing was only counted as one, even if it aired multiple times.
- In the entertainment industry, actors rely on collective bargaining agreements like those ensured by SAG-AFTRA to secure fair residuals from reruns and royalties.
- As streaming becomes more prevalent, the residuals from these platforms may contribute significantly to an actor's long-term earnings.
