This may be referred to as either a contract for actors, or an actor agreement. Regardless of whether the job is for a film, TV show, commercial, or live performance, there are a number of components which are common to all acting contracts. Actors, aspiring actors, and managers alike should become familiar with these common contract components. It is important to seek âŚ
 ¡ Whether youâre a budding or established actor, it pays to be informed when it comes to signing your own acting contracts. This in-depth guide to actor contracts will walk âŚ
 ¡ An actorâs type is a combination of five criteria that can be found on most character breakdowns: Gender. Age range. Physicality (short, tall, thin, heavy, light, dark) Job âŚ
 ¡ Since Garcia-Rulfo is a Mexican actor (best known for the 2016 remake of âThe Magnificent Seven,â and âFrom Dusk Till Dawn: the Series) and âThe Lincoln Lawyerâ marked âŚ
An entertainment attorney will assist you in getting the best deal in your contract, and will ensure that the contract is not one-sided in favor of the producer. As you are an employee, you are entitled to certain rights and protections that should be adhered to.
If you are going to be negotiating actor contracts, you should consult with a skilled and knowledgeable Contract Lawyers . An experienced and local business attorney can help ensure that any contract is negotiated to your benefit, and is legally sound. Additionally, an attorney can also represent you in court as needed, should any issues arise.
However, if an actor breaches an employment contract altogether, they could lose the value of the contract entirely.
Examples would be basic materials like a Blu-Ray copy of the production, or more extravagant benefits such as tickets to the production for friends and family; and.
Is Public Liability Insurance Needed? The employer may detail that they have obtained public liability insurance in order to protect the actor in the event of any accidents on-set. Depending on each specific acting job, this type of insurance may be required by law. Actors should ensure that their employer has them covered;
The contract may require that the actor commit to a number of years of employment if the TV show is picked-up for multiple seasons. Here, it is important for an actor to be aware of the potential time commitment they are agreeing to before signing the acting contract; Whether the Contract is Exclusive: This portion of the contract may limit ...
However, a sound acting contract should include the following information: Compensation Rates: The contract should clarify if the actor is being paid flat rate, hourly, per performance, or percentage of proceeds.
Unlike most of the others on this list, these next few were famous before getting their law degrees. After getting his B.S. in Business Administration from UC Berkeley - and becoming president of the student body under the campaign slogan âChunk for Presidentâ - the Goonies actor earned his law degree from the UCLA School of Law. He became an entertainment lawyer and founded the firm Cohen & Gardner.
18. Gandhi. Yeah, you feel bad about all of those lawyer jokes now, donât you? After studying at University College London, he passed the bar in 1891 and returned to India to practice in Bombay. It was then that he figured out being a lawyer may not have been his calling - he was too shy to speak loudly in court.
21. Wassily Kandinsky. The abstract artist was more involved in abstractions of a different kind during his younger years. He studied law and economics at the University of Moscow and taught them both not long after getting his degree.
19. Nelson Mandela. As the first black law partnership in South Africa, the office Mandela and his partner Oliver Tambo shared in Johannesburg is now being made into a museum.
8. Jerry Springer. After getting his law degree from Northwestern in 1968, Springer got a job as a campaign aide to Robert Kennedy. After Kennedy was assassinated, Springer signed with a law firm in Cincinnati.
5. Geraldo Rivera. A young Gerald Riviera (not Jerry Rivers, as the urban legend says) was one of the top five in his Brooklyn Law School class in 1969. As the lawyer for a Puerto Rican activist group called the Young Lords, Rivera caught the eye of an Eyewitness News exec who offered him a job, and his career in journalism began.
One of the funniest men in the history of comedy has a law degree from no less than Cambridge. But he didnât leave the jury rolling in the aisles: Cleese never actually practiced. After meeting writing partner Graham Chapman at school, Cleese went on to co-found a little comedy troupe called Monty Python.
If youâre aiming to hire a lawyer, ask people you know and respect in the industry for recommendations, and comb through reviews online. Try calling up at least three and asking about consultation fees by the hour (some lawyers with less experience will offer free consultations, while industry veterans usually charge). You can also check your stateâs State Bar Association website for a list of accredited lawyers. (If youâre located in New York City, the New York City Bar Legal Referral Service recommends lawyers that are vetted annually.) Another key point: Remember that no matter whoâs negotiating your contract, itâs vital to review the document yourself and know exactly what youâre getting into. Thereâs a chance something will jump out as important to you while youâre reading that someone else might not think of as consequential.
When negotiating your contract as an actor, never forget that youâre always going to be the most trustworthy person looking out for your own best interests. Itâs important to do your research, pay attention, make sure you understand everything thatâs going on and not be afraid to ask difficult questions.
Tormey III, Esq., an entertainment lawyer in New York. The two main unions are the Actorsâ Equity Association (AEA), which largely represents live theater performance, and the Screen Actors GuildâAmerican Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), which mainly focuses on film and television. Both negotiate contracts for members based on the production and budget in question, as well as the role itself (for example, AEA negotiates categories like principal, chorus and stage manager).
Actors should never sign a contract without reading it fully and consulting with other parties. âThereâs no reason to sign anything on the spot,â says Lask. âNever sign on the spot.â Itâs for the same reason experts advise against filling out and submitting your tax return in the same sit-down session: Itâs important to let it marinate. You might have forgotten to look for some important aspects that should be included in the contractâor there might be items you glossed over originally that stand out after a second or third reading. If youâd like someone to look it over or give you a second opinion, youâll need to allot time for that. Plus, âsleep on itâ is an oft-cited mantra for a reasonânever underestimate the value of a fresh, well-rested eye when it comes to an important decision.
For smaller jobs, many actors negotiate their own contracts. But if you have an agent, thereâs a good chance theyâll be the one negotiating on your behalf. Know that you always have the option to hire a lawyer to look over an acting contract before signing.
A contract is an agreement between different parties thatâs meant to be enforceable by law if the agreement is broken. Actors generally want to sign contracts either to bind themselves to whatâs outlined in the document (for example, the number of rehearsal hours per day) or to bind the other party to the document (for example, how much theyâll pay the performer). You could end up signing an acting contract for any project you work on, be it a regional theater performance, a Broadway show, a television pilot, or a feature film.
For a deal less than around $20,000, hiring a lawyer might not be worth the legal fees ($2,000 and up), says Susan Chana Lask, an entertainment lawyer in New York City. But for larger or longer-term contracts, hiring independent counsel is smart for peace of mindâand to prevent potential headaches down the line. âIt almost always costs more in terms of time, money and agita to bring an attorney into the same deal later,â says Tormey. Also important to note: Just because your agency has a legal department doesnât mean youâve got a legal professional in your corner. The agencyâs legal department represents the agency and your agent, not you or their other clientsâthatâs who theyâre primarily looking out for, says Romano.
For actors, this means having a realistic understanding of what you can offer, including your physical characteristics like height and weight, plus the way your voice sounds, and any special skills you have in addition to acting.
When actors are âtypecast,â it means that they are cast in the same kinds of roles, over and over again, because theyâre so believable as those types of characters. While being typecast can be lucrative if an actor is frequently booking work, it can also lead to a dreaded rut in which an actorâs artistic sensibilities are being stifled. Without being challenged by new and different roles, an actor canât flex other muscles and grow as a performer.
That said, for those just starting out in the industry, worrying about being typecast is a waste of time. In the beginning of your journey, knowing your type and sticking to it will get you noticed by prospective agents, casting directors, and others. That common understanding of who you are as an actor will get you seen in the audition room and eventually cast.
When determining your age rangeâthat is, the range of ages you can believably play on screenâremember that it should span no more than five years and include your real age. Claiming that you can play anywhere from 15 to 40 is ânot the response of a professional actor,â acting coach Tom Burke warns.
âPay attention to your face, your weight, your ethnicity, and your personality,â says acting coach Matt Newton. âDo you have a receding hairline? Do you have a thick accent? Listen to your voice. Do you sound smart and articulate when you talk, or do you sound uneducated ? Be. Honest.â
Play to your strengths, especially early on. âIf you are magnetic as a comedian and arenât as convincing dramatically, donât squash comedic ability just because you only want to play dramatic roles,â advises photographer Marc Cartwright. âUse your talent and, as you grow as an actor, transform. Traits that are unique to you are what make you intriguing.â
Benjamin Lindsay is managing editor at Backstage, where if youâre reading it in our magazine, heâs written or edited it first. Heâs also producer and host of a number of our digital interview series, including our inaugural on-camera segment, Backstage Live.
Deemed one of the greatest courtroom dramas of all time and based on the novel with the same title, Anatomy of a Murder follows Michigan lawyer Paul Biegler (played by James Stewart), who has his work cut out for him after agreeing to defend Lt. Manion (played by Ben Gazzarra), who murdered a local bar owner after learning heâs been accused of rape.
Directed by Fred Zinnemann, A Man for All Seasons is set in 16th Century England and tells the story of Sir Thomas More, played by Paul Scofield.
In the film, directed by Steven Soderbergh, Brockovich is played by Julia Roberts. Her attorney, Ed Masry, who eventually hires her at his firm, is played by Albert Finney. It is when she starts working at Masryâs firm that Brockovich discovers medical records related to the case and kicks off her investigation.
Elle follows her ex, Warner Huntington III (played by Matthew Davis), to Harvard law school after he breaks up with her on the night when she expects him to propose.
The only lawyer who will help him with his case is Joe Miller, played by Denzel Washington.
Vole is represented by the legendary Sir Wilfrid Robarts (played by Charles Laughton) and, in order to win his case, must have his alibi corroborated by his wife, Christine (played by Marlene Dietrich). In a shocking turn of events, Christine decides to appear in court and testify against him.
5. Witness for the Prosecution (1957) In this film, Tyrone Power plays Leonard Vole, who has been accused of murdering a wealthy woman.