Striking Actors Are Turning to Cameo for Extra Cash

On July 24 Cheyenne Jackson, an actor, posted a photograph on Instagram that confirmed him shirtless, with glistening abs, veiny arms and his lips parted.

“This is me subtly letting you know I’m back on @cameo,” its caption learn.

Cameo is a service by which celebrities and others will be paid to make personalised movies commemorating birthdays, bachelorette events, divorces and the like. Mr. Jackson, who has appeared within the “American Horror Story” TV exhibits and in “30 Rock,” mentioned in a cellphone interview that he reactivated his account due to the persevering with strike by SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union.

Mr. Jackson, 48, fees $95 for a video message and cited payments — “I have two kids” — as one motive he’s on Cameo. “There are only so much sources of income,” he mentioned.

“My husband cringed a little,” he added. “But you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.”

Since Cameo debuted in 2016, some actors have used it when conventional work has dried up. In 2021, because the pandemic raged, the actor Andrew Rannells joined Cameo to boost cash for the Entertainment Community Fund, a nonprofit previously generally known as the Actors Fund. On a latest episode of “And Just Like That…,” the “Sex and the City” reboot, the character Che Diaz, performed by Sara Ramirez, begins making Cameo movies after a TV pilot is canceled.

According to information offered by Cameo, there was a 137 % improve within the variety of accounts reactivated or created on Cameo in July in comparison with June (the strike began on July 14). The variety of orders for movies remained about the identical for every month, however Cameo mentioned orders normally drop in July as a result of there aren’t occasions like graduations and holidays like Father’s Day.

Some of the brand new and reactivated accounts have been for individuals unaffected by the strike, however others have been for union actors like Mr. Jackson and Alyssa Milano. Fran Drescher, the SAG-AFTRA president, additionally reactivated her account, in accordance with Cameo, although it’s not at present accepting bookings.

Ms. Milano, 50, who fees $250 for a video message, mentioned in an e-mail that Cameo “is a great way to supplement some income during this idle time.” Ms. Drescher’s representatives mentioned she was unavailable to remark for this text.

While the actors’ union is on strike, its members are forbidden from filming most tasks and from selling most tasks at film premieres, movie festivals and occasions like Comic-Con. But making Cameo movies, for essentially the most half, is allowed, mentioned Sue-Anne Morrow, the nationwide director of contract strategic initiatives and podcasts at SAG-AFTRA.

“As long as there’s no promotion of struck work within the Cameo, there’s no problem,” Ms. Morrow mentioned in an e-mail.

In May, across the time that film and tv writers’ unions went on strike, the actors’ union finalized a take care of Cameo that enables its members to have earnings from sure bookings utilized towards their medical insurance minimal earnings requirement, Ms. Morrow mentioned. Those bookings have to be made by Cameo 4 Business, the place company prospects like insurance coverage firms and grocery retailer chains rent expertise for promotional movies.

Ms. Morrow mentioned that the union pursued the settlement as a result of Cameo is one in every of some ways actors can assist themselves after they’re not appearing.

The common value of a Cameo 4 Business reserving is $1,700, mentioned Steven Galanis, a founding father of Cameo and its chief government. Non-business bookings — the varieties of movies Cameo is most identified for — common $70. Cameo receives 25 % of the price for any reserving, and the remaining goes to the expertise.

Mr. Galanis in contrast the chance created by the strike for Cameo to the time frame within the early pandemic when, as he put it, “every other income sort of dried up” for actors and different entertainers. “I’m hoping that the strike ends tomorrow,” he mentioned. “But if it doesn’t, we’re going to be here.”

On July 18, days after the actors’ union went on strike, Cameo introduced a spherical of layoffs, which occurred somewhat greater than a yr after the corporate laid off 87 employees in May 2022. Mr. Galanis declined to touch upon the variety of individuals affected by the latest layoffs, or on the variety of individuals now working at Cameo.

Some actors who’ve began reusing the service because the strike mentioned that earning money was not the one motive that they returned to it. Christa B. Allen, who has appeared within the TV present “Revenge” and within the movie “13 Going on 30,” mentioned that Cameo affords a chance to have interaction with followers at a time when she is making fewer public appearances.

“We’re nothing without our fans,” she mentioned. Cameo, she added, lets actors “connect with the people that love them and have supported their career in a time when they’re not going to be making traditional media.”

Ms. Allen, 31, who makes use of the stage identify Christa Belle, reactivated her Cameo account in the course of the strike after utilizing it sporadically since 2017. She fees $75 per reserving and mentioned she has made about $1,000 up to now.

“Cameo is not something I think of as a moneymaker,” she mentioned.