Q: On shows like “Reba” and “Seinfeld,” do the actors make anything from the reruns? Or after a certain amount of time has lapsed, do they not get anything? Do the studios wait until after the time is up to run them?
—Eddie Webster, Douglasville
A: Actors receive residuals from shows and movies, "beyond the use covered by initial compensation."
That means residuals start when a show begins reruns or is “released to video/DVD, pay television, broadcast TV, basic cable, or new media.”
For movies, it starts when the “movie appears on video/DVD, basic cable and free or pay television, or new media,” the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists states on its website (sagaftra.org).
Residuals continue after death, meaning an actor’s heirs will receive money from show reruns or TV movies.
The residuals continue as long as the “TV or movie product continues to generate revenue for the producer,” the website states.
Others who could receive residuals include “professional singers, stunt performers, stunt coordinators, pilots,” dancers and puppeteers.
Q: Having spent three wonderful years in Alaska in the 1960s, we have intently followed and enjoyed coverage of all the episodes of the Kilcher family on Discovery and Animal Planet. Are new episodes being filmed and forthcoming?
—Roy Fair, Snellville
A: Discovery Channel hasn't announced a decision about the future of "Alaska: The Last Frontier," a spokesman told Q&A on the News in an email.
“Alaska: The Last Frontier,” a show that depicts the Kilcher family living in Alaska, completed its fifth season earlier this year.
Andy Johnston with Fast Copy News Service wrote this column. Do you have a question? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
About the Author
