Mandy Moore Shares Her Thoughts On The SAG-AFTRA Strike

Mandy Moore has joined the ongoing Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike.

The multi-hyphenate, who had her big music break through her 1999 single, "Candy," recently shared her unbelievable experience as an actress in Hollywood, revealing that she does not earn nearly as much as her fans think. The heartwrenching information triggered an avalanche of responses from her supporters, who appreciated her for speaking up and joining in the fight.

Even though Moore has had a long-standing Hollywood career since her first minor voice role in the 2001 film, "Dr. Dolittle 2," her pay does not match her status. Thus, she had no second thoughts about joining her co-workers when they took to the streets to protest their low wages on Tuesday, July 18.

During the picketing outside of the Disney offices in Burbank, California, the actress spoke to the Hollywood Reporter about the significance of the ongoing strike. She began:

"The residual issue is a huge issue. We're in incredibly fortunate positions as working actors having been on shows that found tremendous success in one way or another but many actors in our position for years before us were able to live off of residuals or at least pay their bills."

The mother-of-two then disclosed the shocker that her streaming residuals from "This Is Us," in which she portrayed Rebecca Pearson from 2016 to 2022, earned her "very tiny, like 81-cent checks" despite the drama being one of the most popular series over the last seven years.

She added that she learned during a conversation with her business manager that "he's received a residual for a penny and two pennies." Moore then offered "a bit more clarity" to the situation in a lengthy Instagram caption, which partly read:

"I fully acknowledge the profoundly lucky and rarified position I'm in as an actor at this moment, one that I don't take for granted and one I also don't assume to be in forever. Ours is a fickle industry and in my 20+ years of being a performer, my career has ebbed and flowed. I've had very lean years where I couldn't get a job and those are precisely the moments when in years past, actors could rely on residuals from their past work to help them get by." 

Reacting to the candid message, one fan commented, "Thank you for acknowledging your privilege as an actor, but also thank you for being transparent with what is going on." A second person noted:

"And if Mandy is getting paid 81 cent residual checks, think of the poor extras and smaller guest stars getting $0.02 checks. I've seen it. Not even worth the stamp they use to mail the check. Something has to change."

A third netizen lauded, "You are carrying as you climb, Mandy. This is what it means to be an ally. You weren't always this high-profile and successful, and because you remember those harder days you are using your voice to speak out for those who feel all but invisible." "Your voice is huge in this. Thank you for using it to help your peers," a fourth cybercitizen appreciated.

Before hundreds of actors took their places on the picket lines, The Blast divulged that Tom Cruise reportedly partook in a negotiating session between the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the actors union, and SAG-AFTRA.

During the meeting, the "Mission Impossible" star had urged SAG-AFTRA representatives to allow union actors to continue promoting their films during the strike due to the delicate state of the theatrical business.

As we very well know, theatres have been struggling to return to their peak, following the debilitating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. As it turned out, a source who was present during the deliberations claimed that the "Top Gun" actor's comments on the issue felt "uncomfortable."

The superstar's attendance was because SAG-AFTRA occasionally beckons on notable figures to speak from their expert perspective during its negotiation process. Additionally, any union member can ask for a chance to address a negotiation session, with SAG-AFTRA evaluating the value of having them partaking in the negotiations.

Unfortunately, Cruise's presence did not pull any weight as AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA failed to reach a beneficial agreement. The original contract was extended past the initial deadline to Wednesday, July 12, with SAG-AFTRA members starting their labor strike on July 14.