Matilda star Mara Wilson has revealed that she has never made enough money to qualify for medical care from the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Radio and Television Artists (SAG-AFTRA) during the streaming era, as the union of Hollywood actors joined the striking screenwriters for the first time. time in more than six decades.
Taking to Twitter after it was announced Thursday that the union, which represents roughly 160,000 actors and entertainers, would join the Writers Guild of America (WGA) on the picket line, the actress wrote: “I haven’t acted much as an adult.” , but I WAS in a recurring character on one of the most critically acclaimed animated shows of all time, as well as playing an actual Disney villain.
“But thanks to streaming, I never made enough to qualify for SAG-AFTRA healthcare.”
Wilson, 35, rose to fame in 1993 at the age of six after landing the role of Natalie ‘Nattie’ Hillard in the film Mrs. Doubtfire at her first film audition, having only appeared in a few commercials for television before.
Time for a change: Bojack Horseman star Mara Wilson has revealed she has never made enough money to qualify for SAG-AFTRA healthcare
Keeping it real: The Matilda actress shared the shocking fact after the Hollywood actors union joined striking screenwriters for the first time in more than six decades
She went on to play Susan Walker in Miracle on 34th Street the following year and starred in the title role of Matilda Wormwood in the 1996 film Matilda, cementing her place as one of the most recognizable child stars of the ’90s.
As an adult, however, the former Hollywood darling has taken a big step back from working in front of the camera, lending her vocal talents to animated shows instead.
In the tweet, the star, who has an estimated net worth of $500,000, referenced his roles in Netflix’s dark comedy BoJack Horseman and Disney’s Big Hero 6 television series, respectively.
SAG-AFTRA has often been criticized for its ‘unfair’ requirements for actors to qualify for health cover.
The organization currently states that you “must earn $26,470 in your Base Earning Period to receive Earned Eligibility for Active Plan health coverage.”
Rising stars have often lamented about the earnings threshold, while even established Hollywood stars have spoken about receiving inadequate assistance later in their careers.
In March, Charmed star Shannen Doherty, 51, accused SAG-AFTRA of canceling her union health insurance amid her battle with stage four metastatic breast cancer.
While Sharon Stone revealed in 2021 that her insurance was canceled for a $13 unpaid bill.
Elsewhere, SAG-AFTRA’s membership rules have long been criticized by upcoming players, due to their strict eligibility rules.
Strict rules: SAG-AFTRA has often been criticized for its ‘unfair’ requirements for actors to qualify for health coverage.
Famous Face: Wilson starred in the title role of Matilda Wormwood in the 1996 film Matilda, cementing her place as one of the most recognizable child stars of the ’90s.
In the tweet, Wilson referenced his roles in the Netflix dark comedy BoJack Horseman (pictured) and the Disney television series Big Hero 6.
The most common way to become a member is to get hired on a union-covered project, however many in Hollywood take years, or even decades, before getting a big break on a union project.
Until then, they are forced to join a sister syndicate or create their own independent projects to qualify for SAGIndie.
The union’s rules are under scrutiny after it was announced Thursday morning that union leadership had officially voted in favor of a work stoppage after their demands for higher wages and protections against artificial intelligence were not met.
SAG-AFTRA demanded higher wages to counter inflation and guarantees for their future livelihoods.
In addition to salaries when actively working, actors earn so-called ‘residual’ payments every time a movie or show they starred in airs on the network or cable, which is particularly helpful when artists are between projects.
Actress Fran Drescher, president of SAG-AFTRA, announced that the union would go on strike on Thursday.
But streamers like Netflix and Disney+ don’t disclose viewing numbers for their shows and offer the same flat rate for everything on their platforms, regardless of popularity.
Mudding the waters further is the subject of AI. The union was looking for “an innovative AI proposal that protects the digital similarities of the actors.”
The actors are concerned that their digital images could be used without their permission or proper compensation.
Announcing the strike on Thursday afternoon, actress Fran Drescher, who serves as the president of SAG-AFTRA, said: ‘We demand respect! You can’t exist without us!
“What happens to us is important,” added the star of The Nanny. ‘What is happening to us is happening in all fields of work.
United Front: SAG-AFTRA has joined the ongoing WGA strike that has been going on since May
‘When businessmen make Wall Street and greed their priority and forget about the essential contributors who run the machine, we have a problem.
“The squad is over, we demand respect,” he said.
Almost immediately thereafter, screenwriters picketing Netflix’s Hollywood offices began chanting: ‘Pay your actors!’
At the same time, Oppenheimer’s cast walked out of the film’s UK release in “solidarity” with the actors’ union.
