UPDATE (July 19 – 11:20 pm ET): Mandy took to Instagram on July 19 to clarify her original comments on residuals and emphasize her gratitude. “I want to bring a bit more clarity to a very nuanced issue,” she wrote. “Striking isn’t fun. No one hoped it would come to this and I know everyone involved is hopeful for a resolution soon so folks can get back to work. The trickle-down effect felt across so many industries is already devastating. There are plenty of issues that are gumming up the wheels (transparency with data, wage increases, residuals, ai, etc…) and I spoke about one that happened to be top of my mind because of a conversation I’d been having while picketing.”
“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. The world and business have changed and I’m hoping we can find a meaningful solution moving forward.”
Mandy concluded, “I am one person- a tiny part of our guild- and while I am happy to use whatever platform my past jobs have given me to speak to issues effecting my fellow @sagaftra family, I know my experience is my own. Here’s hoping we get a fair contract soon so we can get back to doing the jobs we all love and miss so much.”
ORIGINAL STORY: Many actors were on the picket lines in support of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike on Jul. 18, including This Is Us alum Mandy Moore, 39. During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the brunette beauty revealed that she has received “pennies” on her streaming residual checks for the series. “I was talking with my business manager who said he’s received a residual for a penny and two pennies,” Mandy explained to the outlet.
At one point, the A Walk To Remember star said she received “very tiny, like 81-cent checks.” During the conversation, which took place outside Disney Studios in Burbank, Mandy explained the importance of the streaming residuals matter. “The residual issue is a huge issue,” she said. “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 39-year-old starred in the hit series as the matriarch of the fictional Pearson family for six seasons. This Is Us premiered in 2016 and aired its final episode on May 24, 2022. She was joined on the picket lines by Scandal alum Katie Lowes, 40. Katie claimed that she “hasn’t received anything substantial,” in streaming residuals from Disney’s streaming deals with Netflix and Hulu.
“If you are someone who has been fortunate enough in our positions to do 120-plus episodes of a successful show in previous years — 10, 15, 20 years ago — that re-airing would be the thing that could sustain you on years where I did this smaller project or I wanted to go do a play or you have kids and you have a family to provide for,” the 40-year-old explained. “And that just not a reality anymore. The entire model has changed.” As many know, the SAG-AFTRA strike commenced on Jul. 14 after the union said they did not reach a “fair” deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
Mandy also took to Instagram on the first day of the strike to share a carousel of photos from the picket lines. Some of her former This Is Us co-stars were also there including Chrissy Metz, 42, and Jon Huertas, 53. “Day 1. Proud to stand with my fellow @sagaftra and @wgawest members demanding a fair contract. #sagaftrastrike #wgastrong #unionstrong,” Mandy captioned the post with the actors. In addition to the SAG-AFTRA strike, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike has been ongoing since May 2.