Most of us remember the prison series Orange is the New Black, one of Netflix's most successful productions since it began, which along with Stranger Things, Wednesday and Dahmer, made a lot of money for the streaming giant. But despite its success, the actors barely saw an extra cent as a reward for their efforts. According to an interview with The New Yorker where several of those involved are now talking about how Netflix paid incredibly low wages - less than $900 per episode.
Kimiko Glenn, Emma Myles, Beth Dover, Alysia Reiner, Diane Guerrero, Taryn Manning, and Lea DeLaria are among those who have revealed how appearing on Orange is the New Black ultimately cost them money. Several of them had to maintain their regular jobs alongside acting in order to make a living. For example, Beth Dover said during the interview that:
"It actually COST me money to be in Season 3 and 4 since I was cast local hire and had to fly myself out, etc,"
"But I was so excited for the opportunity to be on a show I loved so I took the hit. It's maddening."
She also went on to explain how Netflix lied to those involved about how much money the show made. Whereas for the shareholders, they told a completely different story and bragged about its success.
"They're telling us, 'Oh, we can't pay you this much, because we're pinching pennies,'"
"But then Netflix is telling their shareholders that they're making more than they've ever made. We have not been fairly compensated by any stretch of the imagination."
Do you think actors in series and films should share in the success, or should they be paid fixed salaries with no bonus?