Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Toonz & Wakefield Limited Owe us. Big time.

You don't get paid for the hour. You get paid for the value you bring to the hour.
- Jim Rohn


Toonz and Wakefield Limited are the two producers/investors in the Wolverine & the X-Men cartoon in which I am the voice of Rogue. And they are refusing to pay all of us actors.

Our cartoon is a huge hit both domestically and overseas and it has been running for almost a year and a half and none of us has received even one residual check.


I absolutely loved being a part of this production and found the Marvel team to be passionate and fun and talented. The writing was fantastic! 

But, this SAG production in conjunction with Marvel has not paid us what is rightly due to us in our SAG contracts, which they signed.

I have never spoken out like this before. I have always been rather quiet and grateful as an actress for my prosperity. I have received checks like someone receiving communion. In awe of the majesty of being paid. But the truth is -- this experience has emboldened me. It has made me courageous and outspoken. I am angry at these companies for being so immature and ill-prepared as to assume that they do not owe us what they signed up to pay.

Did they just think that we would work for free? That we would happily not receive a cent.

Did they even discuss this matter with one another? 


Oh, when the shows runs, we will have to pay them, won't we?

Well, who exactly will have to pay them?

Good question, Fred.

And...

I do not know the answer to this one, Earl.

Perhaps you will?

Nope, I am pretty sure you will.

Welp, why don't we just handle this problem when the show runs and just take it from there? (slight snort).

Perfect, ladies. Let us do just that.

These are superheroes on the cartoon, after all. They will know what to do. How to handle this situation.

They absolutely will, my friend. No worries here.

And scene.

---

I mean, really? Is this what went down in India and England? They never once thought about their obligations to the actors?

They owe me, I have estimated, between $5,000.00 and $15,000.00 including domestic and foreign residuals.

I can not imagine how this would go down in any other industry.

And so, I am emboldened to speak out. SAG Legal is going to be handling both cases. But these lawyers have their hands full with many, many cases.

And so, this Rogue, is speaking out on her own too.

Please comment if you are wondering how you can help or if you just have some words for these two companies, or if you have taken some sort of action in your life that has been somewhat similar where you've had to fight to get paid in your line of work.

We will be paid. But my goal is to be paid within the month. I am considering creating a facebook page as well as tweeting and having my new agents on their cases as much as possible.

Thank you for listening, my little blades. I am indeed grateful that this experience has made me more courageous. And now... it is time to get paid.

I am sending love to all of you out there and to my dear friend whose father is recently ill and has had surgery and has a fight in front of him, please send a prayer to him as well. I need to get paid, yes... But I am eternally grateful for my health. There is absolutely nothing in the world more valuable than our health.

Love... Always.





10 comments:

  1. Wow... I know we talked about this the day we met... I just can't believe it hasn't been resolved yet. I hope it is resolved quickly!

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  4. Agreed, E. I am contemplating a facebook page, tweeting regularly about them. And calling on as many friends and lawyers as possuble to pressure them into paying us.

    It is my mission this month to get paid.

    Thank you for your support on this "mater." ;)

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  5. There is nothing more frustrating then work you have not been paid for. I hope that being being vocal over this matter, you will get the sort of attention needed to bring a positive resolution.

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  9. Thank you, E. I am contacting a lawyer friend tomorrow. And the first step just may be sending them a letter -- both companies to show them that we are serious. And from a great firm. Threatening them. And then, take it from there.

    I am not going to fbk and tweet it as this point. I am being careful. SAG Legal has the case now. But I feel we need more muscle.

    We shall see. I agree -- about punitive etc...

    Thank you for being a rock star.

    I shall prevail -- we all shall.

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  10. This kind of thing always makes me so angry.

    This may be relevant: http://thresq.hollywoodreporter.com/2010/07/actors-want-money-from-americas-most-wanted.html though I'm not sure what the status of it is. Very brief.

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