An actor who is frequently cast as the “rich white guy” has revealed how the role he plays couldn’t be further from his reality.
Doug Sharp, 59, spoke candidly with NBC This week about her struggles to make ends meet while living in Los Angeles.
He explained that after earning a business degree from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst when he was 40, he was unable to find work, so for the past decade his main source of income has been driving for Uber and Lyft.
But Sharp, who qualifies for food stamps and relies on Medicaid for health insurance, also has a surprising side job as a paid extra in Hollywood.
“The older you get, the fewer roles there are,” he told NBC. “But the pool of older actors is smaller, and surprisingly, I always play the rich white guy, because that’s what I look like.”
He added: “But I didn’t know he looked like a rich white man until I started playing him.”
Doug Sharp, 59, regularly plays characters who have immense fortunes but struggle to make ends meet in real life.
Although Sharp’s daily wage has increased from $200 to $1,200, the work is inconsistent.
Sharp revealed that he recently landed a small speaking role in a production featuring two Hollywood celebrities.
But although his daily wage increased from $200 to $1,200, the work is inconsistent.
“What I can tell you is that I hardly work,” said the actor.
He continued: ‘In May I worked two days, in April I worked four days, in March I worked two days, in February I worked two days, in January I worked one day.’
Sharp’s irregular schedule means she doesn’t qualify for full Screen Actors Guild benefits, and instead gets her insurance through Medicaid.
To make ends meet, Sharp previously worked as a driver for Uber and Lyft, before declining fares made driving for them no longer worth it.
“The older kid group is smaller, though, and surprisingly I always play the rich white kid, because that’s what I look like,” Sharp said of casting opportunities.
In recent years, their limited income has been supplemented by a generous pandemic unemployment refund.
Sharp now relies heavily on his faltering acting career to pay the bills.
“The money for the background is good, and there is always the possibility of promotion to director,” he said. NBC.
“That has happened to me and I have not found a substitute for it.”
Sharp lives alone in a housing situation he characterizes as unstable.
The actor said he occasionally rents accommodation to a friend and also has an unauthorized arrangement, which he is not willing to discuss.
In addition to her housing problems, Sharp also struggles to afford essentials.
To buy some basic necessities, Sharp recently resorted to trading in items she found around her house for cash or credit at Home Depot and Walmart.
In an effort to ease his financial situation, Sharp has started completing delivery orders on UberEats, though he said the pay isn’t worth it.
Sharp still owns one car, a Fiat 500, which he is trying to trade in for a newer one so he can return to work as an Uber and Lyft driver, despite the reduced rates.
But you have serious doubts about whether your credit score will be good enough to allow you to get a new vehicle.
The actor lamented his wealthy appearance and said that this generates contempt in others when they find out that he is poor.
“The only thing people hate is educated white men who look rich but are poor,” he said. NBC.
He continued: “They think, ‘Oh, he must be lazy or on drugs. What’s his problem?'”
The actor said this negative impression has alienated him from other people.
“I’ve seen my group of friends drift away,” Sharp said.
She added: “I am ashamed of where I am in my life when it comes to my finances and I don’t know how to fix it.”
For Sharp, finding full-time employment has been more difficult than he anticipated.
“I’m willing to work and put my heart and soul into it. Why can’t I get a decent wage?” he asked.
In a TikTok video earlier this year, Sharp spoke about her struggle to find employment.
Addressing his fans, the actor said: “It’s hard to find a job in Los Angeles when you don’t speak Spanish.”
Sharp’s statement sparked outrage from some users who left critical comments on her TikTok.
In a separate video this month, she shared some of these responses with her followers.
“Get out of LA,” commented one Sharp user. “You live in a cesspool,” commented another.
The actor then said that someone replied: “If you are so smart, why don’t you learn Spanish?”
“Another lady, one of my favorites, said I should move to Oklahoma and become the manager of the Flying J Truck Stop,” Sharp continued.
The actor lamented his wealthy appearance, saying it provokes contempt in others when they find out he is poor.
“We all thought together that I needed God,” he said, before smiling and adding: “Thank you.”
Meanwhile, Sharp told NBC that even jobs at fast-food restaurants have proven hard to come by.
Perhaps this can be attributed, at least in part, to California’s new $20 minimum wage, which has made these roles more lucrative.
“It’s embarrassing because it feels like there’s a piece of the puzzle I’m not counting,” he said.
“I’m doing everything I can.”
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