r/interesting • u/AdSpecialist6598 • 10h ago

SOCIETY In 2018, a customer secretly photographed Geoffrey Owens best known for playing Elvin on the Cosby Show working at a Trader Joe's in Clifton, New Jersey, and the images were published online in an attempt to "job-shame" him. Instead, he was able to get more work as an actor because of it.

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He went on to explain that most actors and indeed most entertainers are gig workers. For every a-lister many other actors work gig to gig and having steady work and a steady income that pays well is really hard because the field is so unpredictable. And many actors including many well know actors and artists have to have a secondary source of regular income between gigs and for most working entertainers it means getting a regular job and taking whatever roles you can get.

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u/AdSpecialist6598 10h ago

Almost everyone in showbiz is underpaid and if you make the big money, it is only for short period and it doesn't last as long as you think. Yes, people waste but a lot of time stuff happens someone you love gets sick, your side business goes under etc.

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u/SinoSoul 9h ago

I know a few show runners and script writers, etc. multi millionaires. I know a couple of voice and theatre actors, not multi millionaires.

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u/thrownjunk 9h ago

Eh people in management and ownership dont seem underpaid.

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u/Full-Decision-9029 5h ago

I live in a city in Canada where they make a lot of films (yeah, that one), and I figure about 6 of my coworkers are industry exiles like me.

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u/cothomps 7h ago

Like many typical professional baseball players who might get 3-4 years of league minimum salaries. It’s a great chunk of money to get started with, but it’s not going to be a lifetime nest egg.

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u/Head-Childhood-1171 5h ago

There's a reason every actor who has worked in sci-fi ever spends more time doing conventions than acting in new stuff. One of those you can rely on.