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One Job Away: Actors Struggle for Health Insurance
28 Oct
Summary
- Cheyenne Jackson's campaign highlights actors needing one gig for insurance.
- Actors require $28,090 from on-screen work to qualify for SAG-AFTRA health insurance.
- Post-Covid shifts and industry strikes have reduced acting work opportunities.
Actor Cheyenne Jackson has initiated a social media campaign called "One Job Away" to draw attention to the financial precarity faced by working actors. The campaign highlights how performers often need just a single additional role to qualify for essential health insurance through SAG-AFTRA. Jackson himself recently secured his insurance through a single uncredited part.
The current threshold for actors to maintain health coverage via SAG-AFTRA is $28,090 earned from on-screen work and residuals. Jackson is leveraging his Instagram platform to share the stories and needs of these actors, hoping to influence casting decisions by leading actors, producers, and directors.
This initiative comes at a time when finding work has become significantly more difficult for actors. The entertainment industry has seen a decline in television show production since the Covid-19 pandemic, coupled with the lingering effects of the 2023 writers' and actors' strikes. These factors have collectively reduced available acting opportunities.
