Reminds me of professional sports where rookies are paid upwards of 20-50 million in guaranteed money just for potential.

Harrison Ford may have done that as well for the newest Indy…. but I’ll have to double check on that one.

I’m not too fond of telling a company what they should have to pay their employees either but, in this case, Coyote is not asking that legislation be passed nor that government become involved. He is suggesting that those who cash multi-million dollar checks knowing that their own high pay will limit the ability to hire other talented actors, are putting their own projects in jeopardy, i.e., “Just as long as I get mine” thinking.

This is why we so often hear the praise attributed those who continue to work in independent films where the pay is low…It’s because those well-known and talented artists work for the craft, not for the cash. Those at the upper-echelon of the pay scale appear to be far more concerned with their own personal gain.

What if, I wonder, those ‘top actors’ took less in up-front cash and were, instead, paid a percentage of gross instead? My guess, they would suddenly concern themselves with securing the best talent available.

I mean, really, what is their motivation at present?

Another thing: Remember those days when our best and brightest enlisted in the military and fought beside the everyman?

Not that long ago, Hollywood was filled with folks who saw acting as a way of using their craft, not as a way of measuring their worth against the rest of us.

No one is advocating communism, but when “lead actors” are failing to pull in audiences with star power alone, screw ‘em. More money has been made in the past twelve months by way of concept movies with unknowns than by films using star power as their sole marketing tool.

The union is trying to avoid a strike, which would fuck up the entire industry and further drag down parts of the already dragging economy. That is commendable.

These ‘lead’ actors often spend years toiling in there craft, many achieving minimal financial gain. They’ve earned where they are and what they receive through talent, hard work, and yes, some luck. Rest assured the moment (or two) they don’t pay for themselves, they’ll be dropped like a hot potato. That’s the market system.

Maybe the character actors should organize a union, and go on strike.

Just sayin’