Question about out-of-work actors

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As The Significant Other and I talked about how Ryan O'Neal hit on his own daughter at Farrah Fawcett's funeral, the conversation veered to what out-of-work actors do for a living.
The S.O. thinks that someone like Ryan O'Neal probably lives off of residuals and speaking fees.
Without looking at IMDB, I'd guess the man has maybe made 10 feature films, and not many of them in the last decade. How do people like that actors whose careers peaked in the '70s or '80s support themselves?
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Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]As The Significant Other and I talked about how Ryan O'Neal hit on his own daughter at Farrah Fawcett's funeral, ... last decade. How do people like that actors whose careers peaked in the '70s or '80s support themselves?[/nq]
I'm guessing the smart and well-advised ones invested in all kinds of things.

"If you can, tell me something happy."
- Marybones

Usenet · Answer

What MC said - when they had a bunch of money, they invested it. Now they have the investment income and residuals.
The obvious example is Lyle Waggoner, who owns the company that makes luxury location trailers for movie stars (and non-luxury trailers production companies rent). But I'm sure many own property all over the place.
- Bill

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PS: Actors also sell autographs - which may be part of that speaking fee thing. Every couple of months there's an autograph show in Burbank where you can see the shriveled up casts of TV shows you loved as a kid... and spend bucks getting autographs and pictures.

- Bill

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[nq:1]As The Significant Other and I talked about how Ryan O'Neal hit on his own daughter at Farrah Fawcett's funeral, ... last decade. How do people like that actors whose careers peaked in the '70s or '80s support themselves?[/nq]Depends on the actor. If you're a celebrity, like O'Neal, it's a combination of speaking fees, personal appearances, commercials in foreign markets, endorsements, and of course investments of the money you make from all of that (plus the money you made on whatever it was that made you a celebrity). If you're not so much of a celebrity, you generally keep working. A friend of mine does a lot of voice-over work, which isn't generally credited - let alone very flashy - but it does pay, and can pay surprisingly well.

And of course a lot of women, and some men, simply marry well. I remember Ellen Barkin was married to some obscenely rich banker-type and more-or-less stopped working, the timing of which seemed to coincide with her reaching the age where she was still beautiful and ****, but no longer so young that people weren't thinking, "like Ellen Barkin, but young." I only mention her because she got divorced, and in an interview quipped that now she was going to have to start acting again.The thing to remember about Hollywood in particular is that the money is just insane. Bob Hoskins was being considered for the role of Kissinger, in Stone's film Nixon. There was a conversation or two about it, more with his agent than with Hoskins himself, and Stone eventually went with Paul Sorvino. Stone, or at least his production company, sent Hoskins a cheque for $20,000 US by way of saying 'thanks, but sorry.' Hoskins (at the time) made quite a bit of fun out of suggesting that Stone should end up not casting him in ALL of his films, from now on, but the money thrown around in this town is just silly.

Kim Kardashian was once getting in excess of $10,000 to show up at nightclubs for an evening - not to do anything other than show up, dance, have a drink, be seen, just like she would have had she not been paid. But ten grand made sure she did that at YOUR club and not someone else's, and that makes your club a club where Kim Kardashian hangs out. You don't have to do a lot of that before your mortgage and your car note are covered for the month.

Life Continues, Despite
Evidence to the Contrary
Steven

Usenet · Answer

Some write autobiographies. Some make one-time guest appearances on sitcoms.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]As The Significant Other and I talked about how Ryan O'Neal hit on his own daughter at Farrah Fawcett's funeral, ... decade. How do people like that actors whose careers peaked in the '70s or '80s support themselves? .[/nq]
Real Estate assets. Houses those clowns own always increase in value.

BD

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]The S.O. thinks that someone like Ryan O'Neal probably lives off of residuals and speaking fees. Without looking at IMDB, ... last decade. How do people like that actors whose careers peaked in the '70s or '80s support themselves?[/nq]
Ryan has a recurring role as Emily Deschanel's dad on Bones. Now that's a daughter to hit up.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]How do people like that actors whose careers peaked in the '70s or '80s support themselves?[/nq]
Don't you have unemployment benefit in the USA? Over here, resting actors "sign on" as it's called, the biggest names as well as the rank and file.

Bert

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[nq:2]How do people like that actors whose careers peaked in the '70s or '80s support themselves?[/nq]
[nq:1]Don't you have unemployment benefit in the USA? Over here, resting actors "sign on" as it's called, the biggest names as well as the rank and file.[/nq]
We do, but it doesn't go on indefinitely, and it doesn't pay a lot. It maxes out at about $450 per week, and most people don't qualify for the max, plus it's only for a few months (at a time, at least). And worst of all, they expect you to get a job, regardless of whether it's in your preferred field. It's not enough to say, I can't seem to find any open positions in the Movie Star trade; they expect you to take the gig at ZippyBurger if that's what's available.

When I was busy mis-spending my youth, 'art welfare' was a part of every actor's life. Summer Stock paid a hand-to-mouth living (it often included room and at least a bit of board in leu of more cash) and in the gaps between that and the winter subscription season, unemployment covered the bills. But it's not enough to bridge the gap between having had a TV series back in the 80s and looking for some nostalgia-based revival.

Life Continues, Despite
Evidence to the Contrary
Steven

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]What MC said - when they had a bunch of money, they invested it. Now they have the investment income and residuals.[/nq]
They're probably hurting now, what with the stock losses of the past
18 months.

That would make an interesting article: how the recession has impacted former stars in their golden years.
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