Earlier, I used to charge territories instead of my fees as an actor, but I realised it was better to keep the two apart. Now, I take my fees in cash, for acting, and keep the distribution thing separate.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
We work very cost effective and I sell my movies in 100 territories on my own.
I started out as an actor but now I act to fund my own productions. I've managed to separate my mindset.
There is a vast difference in the pay package of every actor. Actors are also exploited at various levels, but when we are established, we get paid fairly well. But at times, if an actor asks for a hike, he/she may even get boycotted.
I love acting, but being an actor for hire only serves so much, and then you want to fill your well up again and be charged by something else.
People say you should do it this way, someone else suggests that, yes, there's financing, but maybe you should use this actor. And there are the threats, at the end - if you don't do it this way, you'll lose your box office; if you don't do it that way, you'll never get financed again... 35, 40 years of this, you get beat up.
I can only pay my electric bill for my last two years on my acting.
I don't think you can discriminate against budgets, you know? I'm an actor, I guess, so I'm just trying to play as many characters as I can. If there's a character I think I can play, and they're going to let me do it, I'll do it whether it's $10 or $1 million or more.
If you do a film with a studio, agents step in, they start saying, 'My actor has to get this amount of money', and it becomes about deals.
I'm an actor. My life as an actor depends on who sends me what. I'm just taking the best stuff that I can find that's sent my way, regardless of how big or little the paycheck is.
It pays to be a fee fiend.