‘Lucifer’ Star D.B. Woodside Spells out Major Grievance TV Actors Have With Studios

D.B. Woodside is getting fired up in the midst of the SAG-AFTRA strike. The Lucifer and Night Agent actor took to Twitter last week to share a lengthy message to his followers, informing them on a major grievance he and his fellow TV actors have with studios, and it is a lot. He mentioned that “the overwhelming majority of TV shows are not filmed in LA where most live,” which means that if one is “a series regular on a TV show, you get flown to another city (another country, Canada usually) where you’re expected to LIVE for the duration of filming.

“They give you a ‘relocation fee’ to get you ‘started.’ Usually falls between $4,000 – $8,000. That’s it. For the LIFE OF THAT SERIES. Not every season. ONCE. I repeat: ONCE. So if you’re on a show for 5, 6, 7 seasons, you’re expected to pay your rents/mortgages and car leases back IN LA where most live.”

Better compensation is what the actors and writers are striking, and a lot have been confessing how much they make, at least when it comes to residuals, and it’s not a lot. While a lot of shows do film in or around Los Angeles, there are a lot that do film on location in another city, be it New York or even in Canada, usually Toronto or Vancouver, which are the other big locations studios use. It’s not really something fans are used to thinking about since you do assume that both the actors and studios have it mostly figured out each season, but obviously, it is not that way.

“You are also expected to pay for your rent and rental cars in the city that they decide to move you to for the duration of that series,” Woodside continued. “4, 5, 6, 7 seasons, depending on the success of your show. Most of us pay month to month. Or, we find a lease that we have to break when the job is over. Or, we find another actor friend that will take over that lease. I’ve done with my homie Meagan Tandy. Add airline tickets to fly back and forth to see your parents and children. We pay for that s—too. This happens EVERY SINGLE SEASON on TV shows through the USA that film outside of LA.”

D.B. Woodside also went on to say that he doesn’t know many people that can afford mortgages, apartments, cars, leases, and airline tickets, not to mention the fact that a lot of actors are jumping from one job to the next just to afford it all if they even can, “because the clock is always ticking financially.” He also says that most actors are not doing well and residuals matter, and it’s clear that a lot of people are dependent on making money through their acting jobs in order to make ends meet. 

As of now, there is no end in sight for either strike, and more and more actors have taken to either the picket lines or social media to speak out about why they’re striking. Networks have been reworking their fall schedules since no shows, other than independently produced ones, are filming. As long as the studios reject SAG’s requests, nothing will get very far, unfortunately. Hopefully, things will be resolved soon, though.