Many cast members of the Netflix show ‘Orange Is the New Black‘ lambasted the OTT platform over their salaries.
‘Orange Is The New Black‘, which had an ensemble cast and showed the lives of female prisoners from different backgrounds, played an important role in setting up the stage for the boom showbiz economy during its run from 2013-2019 on the streaming platform.
However, a report from The New Yorker revealed that several cast members got unfairly treated regarding salaries. Actress Alysia Reiner, who played the prison warden Natalie “Fig” Figueroa, said they took a risk but their hard work did not receive the recognition from Netflix.
“We all took a risk together,” she said. “And the reward for Netflix does not seem in line with the reward for all of us who took that risk. I can go anywhere in the world and I’m recognised, and I’m so deeply grateful for that recognition.
“Many people say they’ve watched the series multiple times, and they quote me my lines. But was I paid in a commensurate way? I don’t think so.”
The regular actors earned up to $US200,000 per episode, but supporting stars did not collect more than $US15,000. Lori Tan Chinn, who played Mei Chang in all seven seasons, said she earned so little that she considered going on food stamps.
An unnamed actor said the actors started getting more disgruntled about low earnings money as the show progressed, adding it felt as if their fellow celebrities were earning more than them on other networks.
Several of ‘Orange Is The Next Black‘ stars continued with their day jobs despite the recognition they earned from the show. working day jobs while on the show. Lea DeLaria, who played the beloved Big Boo, continued doing stand-up comedy whereas Diane Guerrero – who essayed Maritza Ramos – worked at a bar.
The report surfaced right when the SAG-AFTRA voted to go on strike after the failed talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). The alliance includes prolific production houses Amazon, NBCUniversal, Disney, Apple, Paramount, Warner Bros., Discovery and Sony.
