New Girl , which Jake asterisk on from 2011 to 2018 , has become a streaming staple following its original run on Fox .
Though theSAG-AFTRA strikemay be over, the conversation around actors being compensated for their old shows airing on streaming platforms has not gone away.
On Tuesday,Jake Johnsonshared his thoughts on the topic during an interview withRolling Stone. Jake, who was promoting his new filmSelf Reliancethat he directed, was asked by the publication if the cast ofNew Girlreceived streaming residuals.
“No. No, we’re not,” the actor said before explaining his “mixed” feelings about residuals and acting opportunities after starring on a hit TV show, likeNew Girl.
New Girlended a successful seven-season run in 2018. The show received five Emmy and five Golden Globe nominations and has been heralded as abingeable staplein the years following its run. For awhile, old seasons of the show were streaming on Netflix. Currently, the show is no longer on Netflix but available to stream on Peacock and Hulu.
Jake noted to Rolling Stone that “the game has so fundamentally changed” regarding the finances of coming off starring in a hit TV show.
“Back in the day, if you did a big TV show and everyone knew you from it, it was really hard to get other roles. Now, if you haven’t done a big show that people know you from, it’s really hard to get roles,” he said, noting thatNew Girl’s success influenced his pay on his follow-up TV show, the short-lived seriesStumptown.
“So, I can do a show calledStumptownfor two seasons — we only filmed one, but we got paid for two because it was a pandemic killer — but because ofNew Girl, they’re willing to pay me a huge fee to be on it to try to connect to that show. WithoutNew GirlI’m not getting that,” he said.
“We don’t get the residuals the way we used to, but there are so many other opportunities now,” he continued. “I feel really kind of mixed. I wish we still got those old checks, but they don’t advertise on those shows the way they used to. It’s not the clean line that old TV and syndication used to be, and I hope the new deal helps with that.”
Jake is not the first celebrity to say they’re not receiving residuals after starring on successful shows. During the SAG-AFTRA strike,Mandy Mooretold the Hollywood Reporter she’s received “very tiny, like 81-cent checks” forThis Is Usresiduals.
Breaking BadstarAaron Paulalsoreportedly toldEntertainment Tonight Canadaduring the strike, “I don’t get a piece from Netflix on ‘Breaking Bad’ to be totally honest, and that’s insane to me, you know what I mean."
SAG-AFTRAended the strike last monthfollowing a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The tentative deal is currently being voted on by union members, and voting is set to end on Tuesday.
