September 21, 2019 • 33 mins
A casual conversation with Jeremy Ratchford about working as a TV, film, and commercial actor on union contracts in the US and Canada.
UW Voices: Kevin E. West, Rob Fitzgerald, Nancy Linari, Bob Stephenson
UW Guests: Jeremy Ratchford
UnionWorking Links:
- Rob Roy Fitzgerald on IMDb
- Nancy Linari on IMDb
- Bob Stephenson on IMDb
- Kevin E. West on IMDb
Guest Link:
- Jeremy Ratchford on IMDb
Email us at info@unionworking.com
The UnionWorking Podcast is recorded at Culver City Studios
Executive Producer Jack Levy
http://podcastsage.com / jack@podcastsage.com / 818-233-0640
UnionWorking.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
[inaudible]
Speaker 2 (00:06):
and we're rolling on a union working podcast at
Culver city studios withpodcast.
Sage Union working is agrassroots organization of film,
Television and commercialperformers of Sag-aftra.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
We are dedicated to solutions, ideas and creating a
union that works for all of us.
So we hope you will enjoy ourinformative, entertaining and at
times a reverend podcast aboutthe challenges facing the modern
day union area.
Speaker 4 (00:29):
Sure.
Will you support a membershipdriven membership up model
because we are union people.
Hello, quick introduction.
I'm Kevin Eus, one of the unionworking core members.
I'm Rob Fitzgerald.
Same.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
I'm Nancy Alinari.
I'm new to the union workingcorps, but I've been at many,
many, many meetings and heartilysupport these guys.
[inaudible] on Bob Stevenson,part of the union working core
Speaker 4 (00:52):
and we're going to be discussing some theatrical
contracts on this episode and weare extremely excited to have
our dear crazy man friend andcelebrity crazy dad.
Dude, Mr Jeremy Wrestler Jeremysay hi.
Hi.
Don't overextend your, I alwayshave trouble with the word
celebrity.
I know you do, but it's reallybecause in Canada, well, we need
(01:13):
to be celebrities.
Like, yeah.
So weird.
I mean, weren't you just inIceland, like playing a
detective with a dog orsomething?
Newfoundland, which I amsimilar.
I still Iceland, theNewfoundland, they're both cold.
Brophy's not a big, big thing.
I was at a golf tournament thefirst time I had gone to this
game 25.
I've been with them for like 15years now, but uh, it's hockey
(01:36):
players in Minnesota and Ishowed up the next morning for
the golf tournament because Icouldn't find my liver.
I had to read clubs and buyclothes and things because I was
not prepared at all.
And the people that I was goingto be golfing with were already
on the second hole by the time Idrove out there and they were on
the green and one of the guys,Turner goes, Hey, celebrity, get
(02:00):
over here.
And you somehow think, I don'tknow this about you.
That was my favorite use of theterm because that's exactly what
it felt like as a celebrity.
No, I don't think so.
Especially when you're in atournament.
A little hockey players.
Cause I'm from Canada.
Yeah, that's, there's aren'tcelebrities, right?
Canada hockey players are thecelebrities actors.
We're the ones that we in theguy I'm playing with the thing.
(02:23):
Yeah.
Start us off with maybe yourfavorite three assessments of
your contracts in the last fiveyears.
Theatrically.
It's so difficult.
Cause again, I'm, I'm, I, I'vebeen down here for 20 years but
I started in Canada and inCanada was the same thing.
They go, oh we have the new, aindependent producers agreement.
And it was always the samething.
It was how gentle are you goingto be when you fucked me?
(02:46):
Valid point.
The one thing that I've neverunderstood in all respect to the
actors and stuff, but I've had aphilosophy for years that the
head of a union, like an actingunion, I don't think it should
be an actor.
I think we should get a hiredgun.
I think we need another wolf togo in with a den of wolves and
fight amongst the wolves and getthe best contract for us.
Because as actors andentertainers, we're not, uh,
(03:10):
trying to find the best way tosay this equipped.
Yeah.
I tend to spiral a bit, but Imade a comment when the last
Avengers movie made$1 billion.
The first weekend I saw yourposts, I saw your post.
Yeah.
$1 billion the next weekend.
And I just sat to go on and goon.
Okay.
Yet if I'm an actor and I'mgoing out for not obviously one
(03:32):
of the avenger roles, causethose are cast well before
anybody gets a chance.
But then they come to me and saywe only have scale for you.
Well no, but the rate that I'vebeen working at for 30 years is
this thing.
Yeah, but we only have scale forthis party.
And you go fuck yourself.
You made$1 billion a week.
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Yeah.
Oh Week.
You kind of go on anothertangent too.
(03:53):
I remember Mark Pellington is adirector.
He was involved in creating thelook and feel of cold case and
he had a great post at one pointwhen superman meets Batman$250
million.
And he said, why don't you give25 filmmakers 10 million each
and have 25 movies cause you'renot showing me anything fucking
new.
And Superman meets Batman.
(04:13):
But I cannot tell the differencenow between any of the superhero
movies.
It was in that post.
It's like, hey, thanks again forsaving the world.
People were saying, spoileralert, let me see what's going
to happen.
Something bad is going tohappen.
The world will be in jeopardyand only this group of people
can save it and they will.
So thank you for saving theworld yet again.
(04:34):
I mean I loved the old TVseries, beauty and the beast
with Ron Perlman and LindaHamilton cause you knew what the
45 minute mark, Linda Hamiltonwould get in trouble.
Vincent would sniff the Aarongoal.
Fuck pop on a subway underneaththe city.
Come through the door.
Anyway, true lava.
I knew the formula, I enjoyed it.
I get to do it in weekly to seeit.
What?
I'm sorry, these Avengers, Ican't tell the difference
(04:55):
anymore.
And back before the warehouseyou see in front of you what you
can't see.
But back when it was a temple, Iwas actually an x men.
I was banshee of the x menseries about five years before
the x men craze took over.
But that's again going back tothe billion of dollars.
I always wonder like if I doreally well, I reached back for
the next guy on the last threefilms.
(05:17):
One I got paid, it was threeweeks work but technically five
days.
So they paid me for a week.
But I'm at their discretion, youknow cause they go but it's a
week as you're basically we'regoing to listen.
The other three were buck 25cause it's friend of mine that
is using that sag deferral.
I you did an ultra low budgetcontracts for your buddy.
(05:38):
Yeah.
And I've done three of them.
And you kind of go, it's a buck25 but I'm also working with
people that I know that in thefuture will come back when they
make that provided they don'tget involved with a group of
producers that are, we'll know.
We had them for a buck 25 offfrom a buck 50.
You know, it's just like, Eh,that's where you to go on
another tangent.
(05:58):
One of my favorite, uh, it's aRobert Mitchum story.
Mitchum was, uh, working on afilm and the producers decided
that they didn't need to givethe crew coffee and donuts in
the morning.
So the next day Mitchum was fiveminutes late.
The day of today is 10 minuteslate, then he's 15 minutes late.
They go to misses and heprobably doesn't know that he's
20 minutes late, 25 30.
And they go, is there a problem?
(06:18):
No, no, no, no.
Finally gets up to like 15minutes late.
It's had been everyday, everyday, everyday.
And he goes, something's up.
What's going on?
He goes, oh, I'm sorry.
Uh, every morning on my way towork, I stopped for a coffee and
donut and the lines just keepgetting longer and longer.
The next day there was coffeeand donuts, damn skippy there.
And that's, I think that's thebeast that we're dealing with
because the people that made$1billion on the Avengers, they're
(06:40):
not shuffling back into a fundthat will take 50 million of
that and give five filmmakers.
Speaker 5 (06:46):
So I'm just curious for the group in some of these
contracts going back and forthfrom Canada or here since cold
case, have you dealt with thethings that these three wanna
come in on with advanced paymentor residuals and the options
exclusivity of how long we getheld because we just made this
deal with Netflix and they weretrying to address some of it,
but the deal is basically basedon 2017 have you dealt with any
(07:07):
of that that annoys you chattingwith your agent?
Speaker 4 (07:09):
Case in point, but I had done three films for a buck
50.
Uh, and then I did anotherweek's work on a Ben Affleck
movie.
So it's like they've got BenAffleck's, so you've got to take
it in the shorts kind of thing.
It's not Ben Affleck's fault,but you know, good Kudos to you
for doing it.
Yeah.
That kind of goes like the paydisparity thing is crazy cause
in TV you're seeing it so muchnow where a guest star gets
(07:30):
paid, this is as much as you canget.
And then everyone else is likeway to say you guys are making a
hundred thousand a week.
But I'm, I'm doing all the heavylifting for two weeks.
I don't know, back on cold case,they have top show.
And I pitched them an idea withdon Rickles involved and they
said that they wouldn't go aboveshow for Don Rickles.
And I said okay, I would if Igive him my pay for the episode.
(07:51):
Did you really?
Yeah.
Well yeah it could have beenhuge.
I was gonna write it, you know,it was in the whole deal.
We got close to it but then inthe end they went with, I didn't
house writer was the last seasonand we never went back.
But I had a wonderful idea forRickles but they wouldn't go
above show for Don Rickles.
That's crazy.
That's interesting cause youkind of touched on about having
somebody who is a like RobertMitchum.
(08:14):
Yeah.
Say something.
Yeah, I've heard Brad Pitt dothat.
Yep.
And I know that Peter Coyote anda letter to the union to other
actors, actually it was two themovie stars saying you guys need
to be the ones who are steppingup.
You're making$10 million andyou've got a guy who who's
making scale.
He goes, you guys are the ones,you are the voices that need to
(08:34):
step up.
It's just like when you did ourcelebrity support for
commercials, we needed you forvoice.
We needed John Ham.
We needed Allison Janney and onand on and on.
George Lopez, because you guysare the ones that move the
needle a little bit.
Cause when they see your facethey realize, okay, we better do
something.
We don't want to upset thesepeople and I can try it.
I need, it needs to become moreprevalent of who will stand up
(08:56):
and go, you know why you got totake care of the people that are
making me look good.
I think this is almost like abigger problem in North America
there they're trying to nickeland dime everyone down to their
last penny.
But they don't realize that ifyou do not have that middle
class going to the movies, yourmovies aren't gonna make any
(09:16):
money.
If you don't have a middle classgoing out for dinner, they're
not going to be going to arestaurant.
The middle-class, they put themoney back in the economy and he
get rid of unions.
You don't have the middle class.
Yeah, don't, but that's thescariest part.
That whole right to work states,Santa Fe, they gave them this
thing and say, if you give it toeveryone else, why are we always
the ones on the short stick?
(09:37):
Yeah.
So if you go to Santa Fe,they'll give you a public
buildings.
They'll give you access to theprison, they'll do that.
So why don't you then give theactors free room and board so
that the, the studio doesn'thave to w why is it, this is the
term that drives me crazy.
Local hire, local Nikolai old.
Just have you as a local hire.
And I remember one point I stoodup against the machine.
(09:59):
There was a producer in Canada,the first film, first film I
did, I got paid$1,500 for threeweeks work as the title role.
That was my second audition.
It's a horror film that's justbeyond the pale.
But this guy worked his way upand now is doing, it was studio
54 and it was three days inToronto, three days in New York.
(10:20):
I was living here now and Iauditioned.
They said, we want to hire youas a local hire.
And I was like, ah, fuck.
I don't live in Toronto.
I don't live in New York.
So which 1:00 AM I the localhire in?
And at the same time I got anoffer for twice as much money
for an episodic thing beyondreality or okay.
It was a Canadian one off kindof series.
(10:41):
And I went with that and wecalled them back and said, we've
accepted this at the deal.
And they went, oh no, no, no.
You don't have to be a localhire.
Then it's like, you know what?
Go Fuck Yourself.
Yeah, there you go.
The money in hand because youguys were trying to fuck me
again and then I did anotherfilm where it was same producer.
It was angels, so it's the gotJennifer Lopez and they say,
could you be a local hire?
And it was like, hmm, okay, I'llstay at my brothers.
(11:02):
They would fly me up, but it wasjust, it's like, I don't know
why it was the cost of room andboard.
Well, it figures out they wantedme there for three weeks.
A good things came of it.
But then I discovered that theyspent more on Lopez, his shoes
than they did on what they paidme 100% I ended up almost being
her partner in the movie becausethe guy playing her partner was
45 minutes late to set everytime he was at and they had,
(11:23):
they just kept going in coffeeproblem.
It was him trying to get womeninto his dressing room and then
he goes on the view saying, oh,how about much?
He's in love with his wife.
All kinds in this fuckingbusiness.
Nancy, you got a favorite of a,what's we're going through what?
She said that it's a problem inNorth America.
(11:43):
There's a lot of money.
They just don't want peoplehaving in the bottle in the
middle to have any of it.
So it's not like we arguing thefairness of it, the equity of
it, the importance, the value ofus is tough.
When they have the money, theysimply don't want anyone else to
have it.
I think everyone thinks thatwhen they hear you're in this
business that they think thatyou make the money.
George Clooney makes[inaudible]best friend, but he can't touch
(12:07):
Clooney's contract Clooneycontrols because he's him now.
But when you're starting out,who knows?
But this guy said that his wholething was he designed a contract
so he could fire you for noreason.
It's like I can't opt out of acontract.
I couldn't say after five years.
You know what guys?
Cause they would slam me,slander me and say no, this guy
wants this and he's an asshole.
(12:28):
If they go, you know what, we'renot going to honor your
contract.
And there's nothing like it.
The last year of cold case, fourof us have to take a six episode
cut to keep going and I hadsigned a contract that said x
amount of money for x amount ofepisodes.
So here it is big CBS couldn'thonor the contract that I signed
with them and I got to take itin the short, I don't want to be
(12:51):
in six episodes this year.
They would've gone, you're inbreach.
Fuck you.
You have to take into me, youhave to do, he wants the job,
right.
I guess if you're going to doit.
And then it's like what's, thatwas the year that our show where
we were deemed too expensive andthe problem with cold case was
that we had original music, sothey never knew how, they didn't
know how the DVD sales wouldhappen.
(13:11):
Sort of like Wk RP.
We had original music and theycouldn't pay, I mean the
musicians to get together andsay let's have a fun that saves
the rest of the musicians andthrow whatever percentage into
that.
But so there was going to be noDVD sales, which they said made
us too expensive.
Moonves tickle and the$58million bonus that year and they
bumped a sheen on the threeangry men or two and a half, a
(13:34):
million bucks and up to 2million.
The lasted for six weeks.
Bikers, blood imploded.
Moonves had a lot of people hewas having to pay on the side
anyway, but you look at friendsto take the timeframe of
friends.
Cold case, right?
Beginning of series.
Beginning of series.
Yeah, to where we are today andthat kind of tracks.
You look at friends, the hole.
(13:54):
We walked out million dollarsper, you look at the six
episodes, go screw yourself thatyou did at the end of that
series, which was incrediblysuccessful series and then the
[inaudible] and they were sayingnot enough more junior, just as
a little side.
James Whitmore Jr was on Baa,Baa black sheep.
They had a 49 share,
Speaker 6 (14:13):
49 share, 49% of the televisions, what his show was
on.
We're watching BAA, Baa, blacksheep and the networks said not
enough.
Hi.
It's Jack Levy, producer of theunion working podcast and
partner at podcast sage as anawarded audio producer who's
contributed to some of thefinest feature films, television
shows, video games, and recordsproduced.
I had been inundated withrequests by peers and major
(14:36):
studios alike to produce andmanage podcast production, and
I'd be delighted to do the samefor you.
Have an idea for a podcast anddon't know where to start or who
to call.
Look no further.
Have a scripted podcast,investigative, or documentary
interview show, Solo cast gameshow, talk show, or literally
any other project.
Give me a call at(818) 233-0640that's(818) 233-0640 or email me
(15:02):
at Jack at podcast, sage.com wehave world-class studios here in
Culver City and can work remoteon location, literally anywhere,
and have the broadbandexperience to help with
everything from conceptdevelopment to recording and
editing, staffing and writers.
And of course music.
Call me at(818) 233-0640 orshoot me an email at Jackett
(15:23):
podcast, sage.com mention unionworking and get a 10% discount.
Hell, I'll make it 15
Speaker 5 (15:30):
and now back to union work and that's where we're at.
Bob and I are both on the alter.
It's on the negotiatingcommittee, so there's certain
things we can and can't say inthis conversation, but we all
saw the Netflix deal, you knowthe looping and the dubbing and
they're bringing down some ofthe exclusivity situations.
But I'm still, you know, Ihaven't gone and flown some
place based on the travel and Ihaven't gone and been relocated
(15:52):
for what they give you 10 grand.
Speaker 7 (15:53):
Yeah.
What's the deal with that?
The location fees.
Let's see.
I relocated, we edited try andfucking move.
Oh my God, he can.
Your friend has gone throughthat.
A friend of mine who is thedirector, he had a limited
series back in New York.
This here in Valley village orright me, he got 7,500 to be
there for six months.
(16:14):
I'm not, I'm talking about 7,500for six months trying to get
somewhere in New York to live.
So here's was the big thing fromthe big courier.
You've got to be executiveproducer.
It did mean any extra money.
It was just the title and heknows it, man.
He talks about it, he goes, youknow, we're getting in this
short.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
Well, and again I have the added perspective of
being from Canada and the peoplethat came up there with the
Almighty dollar.
So when the Canadian dollar wassometimes 60 70 cents, they
would get for a million, get1,000,003 and then they wouldn't
have to pay Canadian actressresiduals and all that stuff.
But even I did a series of theirblue murder and it was 13
episodes a year for three years.
(16:50):
But I met, I would be up therefor five months.
I had to keep my place in LosAngeles.
I had to pay for short termaccommodations up there the last
year of the show.
And I think I was making a$7,000an episode Canadian.
So[inaudible] show, bro.
I made and I was top of show,you're the star if that works
(17:11):
out to be a a hundred thousanddollars.
When I did the math, there was22 agents and managers.
I spent 30 just on rents andstuff like that.
When it came back home, thedollar was 60 cents on the
dollar.
I was coming back with less than10$15,000 after five months work
and the last year of that show,this is kind of like the, this
is the Hollywood story, but um,the last year the show, I
(17:33):
actually had to break into myRSP in Canada to pay the taxes
because I was underwater.
I wasn't making enough money,paying everything.
I had to pay and then theywanted to go fourth year, my
contract was three.
They wanted to go fourth yearthey called up and they said, we
want to go on another year.
There's just one.
You'd have to take a pay cut.
[inaudible].
No, I said it was, that callcame two hours after I got the
(17:56):
call saying you just booked theBruckheimer pilot called the
untitled something that ended upbeing cold case.
So I had to call them back andsay, guys, I can't come back.
My contract is up with you.
And I just think God[inaudible]stay with my aunt.
It wouldn't be free this.
He told me this.
Then they moved to Charlotte andthings are doing well in
(18:17):
Charlotte and I had someone tellme like a bunch of actors you
get together and like rent aplace in Charlotte or Atlanta.
Like you're in fucking college.
Yeah, we all can live[inaudible]kids now.
I got three boys.
I'm trying to grow intogentleman and I can't be, you
know like okay guys, let's hopon the freighter late at night
and go across town.
I don't, and yet at that momentyou are for the whole Union for
(18:38):
160,000 people, you areliterally basically in the top
2% 2.3 or 4% of our entireprofession and you got to say no
.
This success story and this iswhat you're not making.
It's emblematic of how Labor andmanagement is not just in our
business and that's why we'reunion workings because that
(18:59):
happens across the board allover this country.
I was thinking about this too,the old coal mines, you worked
in the coal mine and you gotyour pay, but you had to buy
your toothbrush, your food fromthe company store and they took
it off your pay.
And I sit there going, oh, ithasn't changed.
It's sort of like it's theplantation owners.
They do everything.
(19:20):
When do you think it did changethough?
In our business always likethis.
I read the easy rider, easyrider, raging bull or easy
[inaudible] writers and ragingbull, something like that.
And it was like, I love the factlike Lucas offered his crew
points on star wars and theywent, fuck you, this thing
sucks.
Which is funny.
(19:42):
[inaudible] his celebrities orstars in it.
Back end of it once it wassuccessful.
Yeah.
Can I read that?
But the crew, he offered thecrew and they said they didn't
want it cause they thought itwas all crap, which is so funny.
And he still thinks that thatmovie is only 50% of what he
wanted.
But the third or fourth one was90% it's like buddy, go back to,
and again I maybe I risksounding socialists, but if the
(20:03):
movie does well, we all do well.
If we're all working at areduced rate then if it does
kick in, what do they said thatuh, Forrest Gump still, it was a
highest grossing movie at itstime and still couldn't pay the
writer cause funky math.
What's that dog with thing,right?
Where you're like, it's like,yeah man, we're all in together.
This is art.
We're going to do this.
But like the guy at the top isgetting kabillion dollars.
(20:25):
Well we're not all in thistogether.
Right.
You know, we're not linkinganything.
Cause I, and I the, I don't knowif you guys have seen small town
crime.
That was the last one I did.
And it's Ashman and Nelms andMichelle Lang, they're kind of a
team of three and we shot thismovie for two point$2 million.
If you watch it, you will notbelieve that we could do that
(20:45):
with what we had.
But we did.
And they are kind of the futureand they are in that world of if
they're doing well, we're alldoing well.
Yeah.
So we all worked really hard,but we've got a great product as
a result.
But then here in lies the rub,we got a two point$2 million
movie that is fantastic.
John Hawks, Octavia Spencer,Anthony Anderson, like we had
everybody coming out.
We got bought by Sabaan and theydid a true independent.
(21:07):
They shot it, they fought forit, they fought for their edit,
they got it went to thefestival.
You were top five according toNew York Times and north by
northwest or South by SouthEaster, east by west coast
southwest.
Well, we got three extrashowings or two extra showings
as a real big hit.
Subhan came in the power rangersphenomena.
They bought us and shelled usall we opened.
(21:28):
We were in fourth year to twotheaters in Austin, one in
Colorado, the one in thosefields and another one in
Brooklyn.
Wow.
Six theaters for our big[inaudible] great movie.
I'd done not because I'm in it,but it's a good adult popcorn
movie and nothing.
What got the buzz then was theTonya movie, which I still think
is phenomenal.
(21:49):
Our take, oh with AllisonJanney.
Yeah, but the story itself, it'slike it's just, it's just that,
uh,
Speaker 5 (21:55):
so as I'm shelving your movie and really opening it
with such a tiny release is thatso they can sell it later to a
streaming platform.
Why, why not buy it and not aspart of one of the things about
an official, how they definewhere they start on our
residuals has to do with what'sconsidered to be an official
release.
So they can do six screens firstrun and it immediately alters
(22:16):
what our downstream residualsbecome.
Speaker 4 (22:19):
Isn't that what they did with the writers?
Cause they had, if you're on thenetwork, first run is this
second run is down here, butthey would do the second run on
their CW network, which isn't asI first got down and off
platform, I was one of theantenna bowls for Jack in the
box as you should be as I shouldbe.
I think I was up for that toowhen I got residual broken down
(22:43):
by the networks and I didn't getflocks doesn't have to pay as
much.
Oh yeah.
Now you're talking about back inthe day when Fox wasn't
technically a network,
Speaker 5 (22:52):
five network shows and the residuals were way
different on the first rundomestically and they've just
taken that model and they'vetweaked it over 20 years and
made it worse.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
So up in Toronto I was the voice of Bananas Gorilla
in Richard.
Scary and there was a greatthing that they did.
The people that did it, theydidn't have to be a residuals
cause we were Canadian artistsand there's no residuals up
there for certain things, for alot of things.
But the company that produced itkept the merchandising rights.
But gave the show to PBS, whichmeant by giving it to them,
(23:24):
there was no money in thatexchange.
So we don't get anything, eventhough that was handed over to
them or around the same time,McDonald's wanted to do a
special run with the figures andwanted us for our voices.
And Bananas.
Gorilla was one of the favoritelittle Q bananas.
He was a crazy little guy.
So McDonald's called up and theysaid, we have scale, and this
was back when scale was I think320 bucks or something.
(23:46):
And it's for a short run sellingthe figurines that I'm the voice
of.
And we said, well no, it's ashort run.
Make a triple 900 bucks andyou're McDonald's.
And they went[inaudible] and myagent at the time said, then I
suggest you take 8 billionserved off your sign twin.
And that's what it took saying,fuck you.
(24:07):
But then what they will do, Imean they ended up using us, but
it was sort of like theSimpson's thing when all of a
sudden someone explained that tome to saying also the Simpsons
guys go, hey, we're the voiceand they go, how many in this
room have a spot on impressionof a show like the Simpsons that
they know?
Then they go, oh, we'll justhire this guy wants to get a leg
up in the business.
Yeah, we're always on the shortend of the stick yet.
(24:30):
This is I, I was listening toJack Black on the Graham Norton
show and it was really kind ofcute and he was talking about,
he was going to the premier ofKung Fu Panda in Japan and
Norton looked at him and said,you're going to Japan.
He said, it's Kung Fu pants, soit's not you, it's a cartoon
figure.
It's in Japan, so it's not yourvoice.
It's the Japanese guy that doesyour voice for Japanese
(24:51):
audience.
So why did they want you there?
It's like, well he goes, cause Ineed it.
This is like they needed abonafide said liberty or
something.
It was very tongue and cheekabout it.
But therein lies the rub whenit's Jack Black or someone like,
I love when the Angelina Joliewas the voice of the tiger and
that it had one line for JackieChandler grunted when you go, we
got Jackie Chan's butter on thebillboard.
(25:16):
That's where all a specific tothat level too.
Like one of my favorite moviesis the Robinhood animated and
it's got all the great voices.
Well now one of my biggestbeefs, I think it was the dawn
of celebrity in, in the moviesof animation things, they're
their voices.
They're more recognizable fortheir celebrity, not for their
characterizations.
(25:36):
And the fact that, and I mean nodisrespect to will be Goldberg,
but she's the antithesis of whatI thought I hired.
You know what sounds like, youknow what I mean?
Like I wanted to be in thatboard and we go, no, no
disrespect.
She's so slow and laid back.
Maybe a slot like, and I go andI mean, no disrespect, I'm
talking about when the voicerenders.
(25:57):
Yeah.
Whereas I've always seen hyenasas the devil's Bellboy, like
Dennis leary gay.
You get that.
Okay.
That's right.
She was the voice of Hyena and Ikind of went[inaudible] but they
also, then they have[inaudible]and then again for the people
like I used to do very well.
I was the voice of Ford trucks,ray ban.
(26:18):
I won awards all over likeLondon, Chicago, La, New York.
Labatt's beer up in Canada.
Your celebrity.
But no overnight.
Guess what happened?
All of a sudden my competitionwent from me and a group of
people that had voices to TommyLee Jones, Gene Hackman, Jeff
Bridges, Sylvester Stallone anda, um, the knife thrower, the
(26:41):
medic seven.
Oh, uh, James Coburn.
Covert Coburn.
Yeah.
And all of a sudden, you know, Ialways kind of said like, they
must've been sitting around thatroom saying, who do we got for
this?
Well, we could have JamesColbert, who's the guy who makes
seven.
Yeah.
Or Gene Hackman.
You know, the guy or a JeremyRoderick.
Who's that local kid?
Fuck him.
[inaudible]
Speaker 7 (27:01):
before we go.
Cause I, we gotta get this outfor this close cause this is
just something that I have toknow.
Cause I know you've worked inNewfoundland and my wife's from
there.
Yeah.
So there's this show now I'veseen Russell Crowe on it and
there's a famous actor, I can'tthink of his name right off
hand.
Older gentleman who's been onit.
Have you?
Cause maybe I haven't seen ityet.
Been on the Republic of Doyle.
Speaker 4 (27:22):
No.
Why not?
As a, all the yelling, lots ofyelling has the Canadian, I've
been watching Shit's creek theremarch.
But I probably have to be alocal higher ed.
It's, well actually the, theshort did Newfoundland Rec.
Speaker 7 (27:38):
Yeah.
Oh you gotta.
You gotta do the, the guy whodrove you,
Speaker 4 (27:42):
you got to do that boy.
Hey Jeremy out over there.
I didn't realize it was CBC.
I can go on forever.
But um, as you said, time was byJohn Peters and Peter Guber.
Yeah.
The guys didn't test themselveslike leeches to things and, and
were barn for sets and just, youknow, he's Barbara Streisand's
hairdresser.
It's sort of like Donald Trump'scaddy is now one of his fucking
advisors.
It's like you just can't, Ican't figure it out.
(28:04):
Those guys, they want it to beattached and that's another part
of our business.
They're, they're like the, whatare the little things that stick
on Barnacles Bar Tomorrowsremoras they just nice rustic on
the bottom.
We can Fitzy so they were alwaysdoing that and it people hated
them but you had to buy themoff.
You had that cause they case inpoint.
(28:24):
Peters and Gruber's heard abouta show in Canada called the
beachcombers.
Beachcombers ran for 28 yearsbeachcombers at the height of
its success at the height of his, because Michael J.
Fox wanted to get on it and theysaid we can, it was a CBC
production, the Canadianbroadcast like the BBC but for
Canada, a Wayne Gretzky, we areall weaned on the show.
Ran For 28 years, couldn't it?
(28:45):
Ryan rental tell makes it apoint in his contracts.
He always some hope mentions inhis contract negotiated where
they're going to shoot somethingin Vancouver.
It's like he can't do it unlessthey promised to relaunch the
beachcombers.
Like it's all, it's all fine.
But they hear about the showthat ran for 28 years and they
go, oh, we've got to get here.
We got gotta, we got to get abarnacle around rise carver, the
(29:06):
remora her Mara.
Thank you.
I was gonna say it's a monkey,but uh, they call up Canada.
They're like, tell us about theshow.
It doesn't, what?
What's the show?
What's this concept?
What's this universal conceptthat can get us on a Gig for 28
years?
Well, it's about a, a man and ayoung boy and they drive around
in a boat along the shore ofBritish Columbia looking for
(29:28):
errand logs, homing the beachand getting the logs and
dragging them back to the lumberplace.
And then they meet at Molly'swharf cafe where they discuss
the log abuse.
Yeah.
You don't know what blind do Ilose a sock in the dryer.
(29:50):
And there was a mean guy, arelic who had a really cool
boat, but this thing ran for 28years and they were like, okay,
okay.
And then they found out it wasgovernment funded cause it was
the CBC, the Canadian BroadcastCorporation.
So it was getting money from thegovernment.
But I just love the fact thatthese guys thought we've got it
made.
We're going to get a[inaudible]and the same thing to show a
Newfoundland is rex rex.
(30:14):
I haven't seen that.
What's it on?
Is it on that flexible watch?
I know it's a Scandinavian show.
It's wrong for like 700,000years because hit the premise is
it's a cop solving crime withhis German shepherd partner and
I ski racks.
But I guess I guess they've gonethrough four cops and like seven
(30:36):
dogs put them up.
Cause it's like, well the dogdie.
But we've got another Germanshepherd detective like the show
ran for 40 years or something.
I all didn't care.
I was like, let's bring it tolife from Newfoundland.
I say between a republic ofDoyle and rex, there's gotta be
a travel advisory for ourNewfoundland and St John's.
Right?
I mean there's crime there everyweek, every week.
(30:59):
It's like the dog, like I'mdriving again with my driver to
the airport and ahead of us is acar.
It's got Nova Scotian licenseplates and this Guy Kinda goes
fucking Nova Scotia and it waslike they're side by each on the
Opry.
Like they have more in commonthan they do with 99% of the
(31:19):
world.
But it's still like that fuckingidiot from the west coast.
Before we wrap up, first of all,Jeremy, thank you very much.
Speaker 6 (31:32):
Oh Man.
Amazing.
We always want to make sure thatwe remind our audience that we
would not be doing this if itwere not for uh, Mr.
Jack Levy and a podcast sage.
So thank you very much.
Thank you to the studio downtownCulver City Studios.
That was awesome.
Thanks.
You guys can findus@unionworking.com obviously,
and I'm Kevin West and the otherfolks in the room from union
(31:52):
working are Bob Stevenson, RobFitzgerald and culinary.
Jeremy, thanks very much forbeing here, man.
We appreciate you gotta haveyour back.
God, I want to hear every storyin that guy's voice.
Alright, be sure and listen tothis guys.
Thanks.
Make sure to download the nextepisode.
I'd like to thank bluemicrophones.
There.
Mikes are fantastic and theirheadphones killer.
(32:14):
The gator case company.
Your equipment can travel instyle, protect your investment.
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kits, ambisonic, microphone andrecorders.
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Spirit production, music.comcheck them out.
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Speaker 8 (33:17):
[inaudible].
[inaudible]
Speaker 2 (00:06):
and we're rolling on a union working podcast at
Culver city studios withpodcast.
Sage Union working is agrassroots organization of film,
Television and commercialperformers of Sag-aftra.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
We are dedicated to solutions, ideas and creating a
union that works for all of us.
So we hope you will enjoy ourinformative, entertaining and at
times a reverend podcast aboutthe challenges facing the modern
day union area.
Speaker 4 (00:29):
Sure.
Will you support a membershipdriven membership up model
because we are union people.
Hello, quick introduction.
I'm Kevin Eus, one of the unionworking core members.
I'm Rob Fitzgerald.
Same.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
I'm Nancy Alinari.
I'm new to the union workingcorps, but I've been at many,
many, many meetings and heartilysupport these guys.
[inaudible] on Bob Stevenson,part of the union working core
Speaker 4 (00:52):
and we're going to be discussing some theatrical
contracts on this episode and weare extremely excited to have
our dear crazy man friend andcelebrity crazy dad.
Dude, Mr Jeremy Wrestler Jeremysay hi.
Hi.
Don't overextend your, I alwayshave trouble with the word
celebrity.
I know you do, but it's reallybecause in Canada, well, we need
(01:13):
to be celebrities.
Like, yeah.
So weird.
I mean, weren't you just inIceland, like playing a
detective with a dog orsomething?
Newfoundland, which I amsimilar.
I still Iceland, theNewfoundland, they're both cold.
Brophy's not a big, big thing.
I was at a golf tournament thefirst time I had gone to this
game 25.
I've been with them for like 15years now, but uh, it's hockey
(01:36):
players in Minnesota and Ishowed up the next morning for
the golf tournament because Icouldn't find my liver.
I had to read clubs and buyclothes and things because I was
not prepared at all.
And the people that I was goingto be golfing with were already
on the second hole by the time Idrove out there and they were on
the green and one of the guys,Turner goes, Hey, celebrity, get
(02:00):
over here.
And you somehow think, I don'tknow this about you.
That was my favorite use of theterm because that's exactly what
it felt like as a celebrity.
No, I don't think so.
Especially when you're in atournament.
A little hockey players.
Cause I'm from Canada.
Yeah, that's, there's aren'tcelebrities, right?
Canada hockey players are thecelebrities actors.
We're the ones that we in theguy I'm playing with the thing.
(02:23):
Yeah.
Start us off with maybe yourfavorite three assessments of
your contracts in the last fiveyears.
Theatrically.
It's so difficult.
Cause again, I'm, I'm, I, I'vebeen down here for 20 years but
I started in Canada and inCanada was the same thing.
They go, oh we have the new, aindependent producers agreement.
And it was always the samething.
It was how gentle are you goingto be when you fucked me?
(02:46):
Valid point.
The one thing that I've neverunderstood in all respect to the
actors and stuff, but I've had aphilosophy for years that the
head of a union, like an actingunion, I don't think it should
be an actor.
I think we should get a hiredgun.
I think we need another wolf togo in with a den of wolves and
fight amongst the wolves and getthe best contract for us.
Because as actors andentertainers, we're not, uh,
(03:10):
trying to find the best way tosay this equipped.
Yeah.
I tend to spiral a bit, but Imade a comment when the last
Avengers movie made$1 billion.
The first weekend I saw yourposts, I saw your post.
Yeah.
$1 billion the next weekend.
And I just sat to go on and goon.
Okay.
Yet if I'm an actor and I'mgoing out for not obviously one
(03:32):
of the avenger roles, causethose are cast well before
anybody gets a chance.
But then they come to me and saywe only have scale for you.
Well no, but the rate that I'vebeen working at for 30 years is
this thing.
Yeah, but we only have scale forthis party.
And you go fuck yourself.
You made$1 billion a week.
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Yeah.
Oh Week.
You kind of go on anothertangent too.
(03:53):
I remember Mark Pellington is adirector.
He was involved in creating thelook and feel of cold case and
he had a great post at one pointwhen superman meets Batman$250
million.
And he said, why don't you give25 filmmakers 10 million each
and have 25 movies cause you'renot showing me anything fucking
new.
And Superman meets Batman.
(04:13):
But I cannot tell the differencenow between any of the superhero
movies.
It was in that post.
It's like, hey, thanks again forsaving the world.
People were saying, spoileralert, let me see what's going
to happen.
Something bad is going tohappen.
The world will be in jeopardyand only this group of people
can save it and they will.
So thank you for saving theworld yet again.
(04:34):
I mean I loved the old TVseries, beauty and the beast
with Ron Perlman and LindaHamilton cause you knew what the
45 minute mark, Linda Hamiltonwould get in trouble.
Vincent would sniff the Aarongoal.
Fuck pop on a subway underneaththe city.
Come through the door.
Anyway, true lava.
I knew the formula, I enjoyed it.
I get to do it in weekly to seeit.
What?
I'm sorry, these Avengers, Ican't tell the difference
(04:55):
anymore.
And back before the warehouseyou see in front of you what you
can't see.
But back when it was a temple, Iwas actually an x men.
I was banshee of the x menseries about five years before
the x men craze took over.
But that's again going back tothe billion of dollars.
I always wonder like if I doreally well, I reached back for
the next guy on the last threefilms.
(05:17):
One I got paid, it was threeweeks work but technically five
days.
So they paid me for a week.
But I'm at their discretion, youknow cause they go but it's a
week as you're basically we'regoing to listen.
The other three were buck 25cause it's friend of mine that
is using that sag deferral.
I you did an ultra low budgetcontracts for your buddy.
(05:38):
Yeah.
And I've done three of them.
And you kind of go, it's a buck25 but I'm also working with
people that I know that in thefuture will come back when they
make that provided they don'tget involved with a group of
producers that are, we'll know.
We had them for a buck 25 offfrom a buck 50.
You know, it's just like, Eh,that's where you to go on
another tangent.
(05:58):
One of my favorite, uh, it's aRobert Mitchum story.
Mitchum was, uh, working on afilm and the producers decided
that they didn't need to givethe crew coffee and donuts in
the morning.
So the next day Mitchum was fiveminutes late.
The day of today is 10 minuteslate, then he's 15 minutes late.
They go to misses and heprobably doesn't know that he's
20 minutes late, 25 30.
And they go, is there a problem?
(06:18):
No, no, no, no.
Finally gets up to like 15minutes late.
It's had been everyday, everyday, everyday.
And he goes, something's up.
What's going on?
He goes, oh, I'm sorry.
Uh, every morning on my way towork, I stopped for a coffee and
donut and the lines just keepgetting longer and longer.
The next day there was coffeeand donuts, damn skippy there.
And that's, I think that's thebeast that we're dealing with
because the people that made$1billion on the Avengers, they're
(06:40):
not shuffling back into a fundthat will take 50 million of
that and give five filmmakers.
Speaker 5 (06:46):
So I'm just curious for the group in some of these
contracts going back and forthfrom Canada or here since cold
case, have you dealt with thethings that these three wanna
come in on with advanced paymentor residuals and the options
exclusivity of how long we getheld because we just made this
deal with Netflix and they weretrying to address some of it,
but the deal is basically basedon 2017 have you dealt with any
(07:07):
of that that annoys you chattingwith your agent?
Speaker 4 (07:09):
Case in point, but I had done three films for a buck
50.
Uh, and then I did anotherweek's work on a Ben Affleck
movie.
So it's like they've got BenAffleck's, so you've got to take
it in the shorts kind of thing.
It's not Ben Affleck's fault,but you know, good Kudos to you
for doing it.
Yeah.
That kind of goes like the paydisparity thing is crazy cause
in TV you're seeing it so muchnow where a guest star gets
(07:30):
paid, this is as much as you canget.
And then everyone else is likeway to say you guys are making a
hundred thousand a week.
But I'm, I'm doing all the heavylifting for two weeks.
I don't know, back on cold case,they have top show.
And I pitched them an idea withdon Rickles involved and they
said that they wouldn't go aboveshow for Don Rickles.
And I said okay, I would if Igive him my pay for the episode.
(07:51):
Did you really?
Yeah.
Well yeah it could have beenhuge.
I was gonna write it, you know,it was in the whole deal.
We got close to it but then inthe end they went with, I didn't
house writer was the last seasonand we never went back.
But I had a wonderful idea forRickles but they wouldn't go
above show for Don Rickles.
That's crazy.
That's interesting cause youkind of touched on about having
somebody who is a like RobertMitchum.
(08:14):
Yeah.
Say something.
Yeah, I've heard Brad Pitt dothat.
Yep.
And I know that Peter Coyote anda letter to the union to other
actors, actually it was two themovie stars saying you guys need
to be the ones who are steppingup.
You're making$10 million andyou've got a guy who who's
making scale.
He goes, you guys are the ones,you are the voices that need to
(08:34):
step up.
It's just like when you did ourcelebrity support for
commercials, we needed you forvoice.
We needed John Ham.
We needed Allison Janney and onand on and on.
George Lopez, because you guysare the ones that move the
needle a little bit.
Cause when they see your facethey realize, okay, we better do
something.
We don't want to upset thesepeople and I can try it.
I need, it needs to become moreprevalent of who will stand up
(08:56):
and go, you know why you got totake care of the people that are
making me look good.
I think this is almost like abigger problem in North America
there they're trying to nickeland dime everyone down to their
last penny.
But they don't realize that ifyou do not have that middle
class going to the movies, yourmovies aren't gonna make any
(09:16):
money.
If you don't have a middle classgoing out for dinner, they're
not going to be going to arestaurant.
The middle-class, they put themoney back in the economy and he
get rid of unions.
You don't have the middle class.
Yeah, don't, but that's thescariest part.
That whole right to work states,Santa Fe, they gave them this
thing and say, if you give it toeveryone else, why are we always
the ones on the short stick?
(09:37):
Yeah.
So if you go to Santa Fe,they'll give you a public
buildings.
They'll give you access to theprison, they'll do that.
So why don't you then give theactors free room and board so
that the, the studio doesn'thave to w why is it, this is the
term that drives me crazy.
Local hire, local Nikolai old.
Just have you as a local hire.
And I remember one point I stoodup against the machine.
(09:59):
There was a producer in Canada,the first film, first film I
did, I got paid$1,500 for threeweeks work as the title role.
That was my second audition.
It's a horror film that's justbeyond the pale.
But this guy worked his way upand now is doing, it was studio
54 and it was three days inToronto, three days in New York.
(10:20):
I was living here now and Iauditioned.
They said, we want to hire youas a local hire.
And I was like, ah, fuck.
I don't live in Toronto.
I don't live in New York.
So which 1:00 AM I the localhire in?
And at the same time I got anoffer for twice as much money
for an episodic thing beyondreality or okay.
It was a Canadian one off kindof series.
(10:41):
And I went with that and wecalled them back and said, we've
accepted this at the deal.
And they went, oh no, no, no.
You don't have to be a localhire.
Then it's like, you know what?
Go Fuck Yourself.
Yeah, there you go.
The money in hand because youguys were trying to fuck me
again and then I did anotherfilm where it was same producer.
It was angels, so it's the gotJennifer Lopez and they say,
could you be a local hire?
And it was like, hmm, okay, I'llstay at my brothers.
(11:02):
They would fly me up, but it wasjust, it's like, I don't know
why it was the cost of room andboard.
Well, it figures out they wantedme there for three weeks.
A good things came of it.
But then I discovered that theyspent more on Lopez, his shoes
than they did on what they paidme 100% I ended up almost being
her partner in the movie becausethe guy playing her partner was
45 minutes late to set everytime he was at and they had,
(11:23):
they just kept going in coffeeproblem.
It was him trying to get womeninto his dressing room and then
he goes on the view saying, oh,how about much?
He's in love with his wife.
All kinds in this fuckingbusiness.
Nancy, you got a favorite of a,what's we're going through what?
She said that it's a problem inNorth America.
(11:43):
There's a lot of money.
They just don't want peoplehaving in the bottle in the
middle to have any of it.
So it's not like we arguing thefairness of it, the equity of
it, the importance, the value ofus is tough.
When they have the money, theysimply don't want anyone else to
have it.
I think everyone thinks thatwhen they hear you're in this
business that they think thatyou make the money.
George Clooney makes[inaudible]best friend, but he can't touch
(12:07):
Clooney's contract Clooneycontrols because he's him now.
But when you're starting out,who knows?
But this guy said that his wholething was he designed a contract
so he could fire you for noreason.
It's like I can't opt out of acontract.
I couldn't say after five years.
You know what guys?
Cause they would slam me,slander me and say no, this guy
wants this and he's an asshole.
(12:28):
If they go, you know what, we'renot going to honor your
contract.
And there's nothing like it.
The last year of cold case, fourof us have to take a six episode
cut to keep going and I hadsigned a contract that said x
amount of money for x amount ofepisodes.
So here it is big CBS couldn'thonor the contract that I signed
with them and I got to take itin the short, I don't want to be
(12:51):
in six episodes this year.
They would've gone, you're inbreach.
Fuck you.
You have to take into me, youhave to do, he wants the job,
right.
I guess if you're going to doit.
And then it's like what's, thatwas the year that our show where
we were deemed too expensive andthe problem with cold case was
that we had original music, sothey never knew how, they didn't
know how the DVD sales wouldhappen.
(13:11):
Sort of like Wk RP.
We had original music and theycouldn't pay, I mean the
musicians to get together andsay let's have a fun that saves
the rest of the musicians andthrow whatever percentage into
that.
But so there was going to be noDVD sales, which they said made
us too expensive.
Moonves tickle and the$58million bonus that year and they
bumped a sheen on the threeangry men or two and a half, a
(13:34):
million bucks and up to 2million.
The lasted for six weeks.
Bikers, blood imploded.
Moonves had a lot of people hewas having to pay on the side
anyway, but you look at friendsto take the timeframe of
friends.
Cold case, right?
Beginning of series.
Beginning of series.
Yeah, to where we are today andthat kind of tracks.
You look at friends, the hole.
(13:54):
We walked out million dollarsper, you look at the six
episodes, go screw yourself thatyou did at the end of that
series, which was incrediblysuccessful series and then the
[inaudible] and they were sayingnot enough more junior, just as
a little side.
James Whitmore Jr was on Baa,Baa black sheep.
They had a 49 share,
Speaker 6 (14:13):
49 share, 49% of the televisions, what his show was
on.
We're watching BAA, Baa, blacksheep and the networks said not
enough.
Hi.
It's Jack Levy, producer of theunion working podcast and
partner at podcast sage as anawarded audio producer who's
contributed to some of thefinest feature films, television
shows, video games, and recordsproduced.
I had been inundated withrequests by peers and major
(14:36):
studios alike to produce andmanage podcast production, and
I'd be delighted to do the samefor you.
Have an idea for a podcast anddon't know where to start or who
to call.
Look no further.
Have a scripted podcast,investigative, or documentary
interview show, Solo cast gameshow, talk show, or literally
any other project.
Give me a call at(818) 233-0640that's(818) 233-0640 or email me
(15:02):
at Jack at podcast, sage.com wehave world-class studios here in
Culver City and can work remoteon location, literally anywhere,
and have the broadbandexperience to help with
everything from conceptdevelopment to recording and
editing, staffing and writers.
And of course music.
Call me at(818) 233-0640 orshoot me an email at Jackett
(15:23):
podcast, sage.com mention unionworking and get a 10% discount.
Hell, I'll make it 15
Speaker 5 (15:30):
and now back to union work and that's where we're at.
Bob and I are both on the alter.
It's on the negotiatingcommittee, so there's certain
things we can and can't say inthis conversation, but we all
saw the Netflix deal, you knowthe looping and the dubbing and
they're bringing down some ofthe exclusivity situations.
But I'm still, you know, Ihaven't gone and flown some
place based on the travel and Ihaven't gone and been relocated
(15:52):
for what they give you 10 grand.
Speaker 7 (15:53):
Yeah.
What's the deal with that?
The location fees.
Let's see.
I relocated, we edited try andfucking move.
Oh my God, he can.
Your friend has gone throughthat.
A friend of mine who is thedirector, he had a limited
series back in New York.
This here in Valley village orright me, he got 7,500 to be
there for six months.
(16:14):
I'm not, I'm talking about 7,500for six months trying to get
somewhere in New York to live.
So here's was the big thing fromthe big courier.
You've got to be executiveproducer.
It did mean any extra money.
It was just the title and heknows it, man.
He talks about it, he goes, youknow, we're getting in this
short.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
Well, and again I have the added perspective of
being from Canada and the peoplethat came up there with the
Almighty dollar.
So when the Canadian dollar wassometimes 60 70 cents, they
would get for a million, get1,000,003 and then they wouldn't
have to pay Canadian actressresiduals and all that stuff.
But even I did a series of theirblue murder and it was 13
episodes a year for three years.
(16:50):
But I met, I would be up therefor five months.
I had to keep my place in LosAngeles.
I had to pay for short termaccommodations up there the last
year of the show.
And I think I was making a$7,000an episode Canadian.
So[inaudible] show, bro.
I made and I was top of show,you're the star if that works
(17:11):
out to be a a hundred thousanddollars.
When I did the math, there was22 agents and managers.
I spent 30 just on rents andstuff like that.
When it came back home, thedollar was 60 cents on the
dollar.
I was coming back with less than10$15,000 after five months work
and the last year of that show,this is kind of like the, this
is the Hollywood story, but um,the last year the show, I
(17:33):
actually had to break into myRSP in Canada to pay the taxes
because I was underwater.
I wasn't making enough money,paying everything.
I had to pay and then theywanted to go fourth year, my
contract was three.
They wanted to go fourth yearthey called up and they said, we
want to go on another year.
There's just one.
You'd have to take a pay cut.
[inaudible].
No, I said it was, that callcame two hours after I got the
(17:56):
call saying you just booked theBruckheimer pilot called the
untitled something that ended upbeing cold case.
So I had to call them back andsay, guys, I can't come back.
My contract is up with you.
And I just think God[inaudible]stay with my aunt.
It wouldn't be free this.
He told me this.
Then they moved to Charlotte andthings are doing well in
(18:17):
Charlotte and I had someone tellme like a bunch of actors you
get together and like rent aplace in Charlotte or Atlanta.
Like you're in fucking college.
Yeah, we all can live[inaudible]kids now.
I got three boys.
I'm trying to grow intogentleman and I can't be, you
know like okay guys, let's hopon the freighter late at night
and go across town.
I don't, and yet at that momentyou are for the whole Union for
(18:38):
160,000 people, you areliterally basically in the top
2% 2.3 or 4% of our entireprofession and you got to say no
.
This success story and this iswhat you're not making.
It's emblematic of how Labor andmanagement is not just in our
business and that's why we'reunion workings because that
(18:59):
happens across the board allover this country.
I was thinking about this too,the old coal mines, you worked
in the coal mine and you gotyour pay, but you had to buy
your toothbrush, your food fromthe company store and they took
it off your pay.
And I sit there going, oh, ithasn't changed.
It's sort of like it's theplantation owners.
They do everything.
(19:20):
When do you think it did changethough?
In our business always likethis.
I read the easy rider, easyrider, raging bull or easy
[inaudible] writers and ragingbull, something like that.
And it was like, I love the factlike Lucas offered his crew
points on star wars and theywent, fuck you, this thing
sucks.
Which is funny.
(19:42):
[inaudible] his celebrities orstars in it.
Back end of it once it wassuccessful.
Yeah.
Can I read that?
But the crew, he offered thecrew and they said they didn't
want it cause they thought itwas all crap, which is so funny.
And he still thinks that thatmovie is only 50% of what he
wanted.
But the third or fourth one was90% it's like buddy, go back to,
and again I maybe I risksounding socialists, but if the
(20:03):
movie does well, we all do well.
If we're all working at areduced rate then if it does
kick in, what do they said thatuh, Forrest Gump still, it was a
highest grossing movie at itstime and still couldn't pay the
writer cause funky math.
What's that dog with thing,right?
Where you're like, it's like,yeah man, we're all in together.
This is art.
We're going to do this.
But like the guy at the top isgetting kabillion dollars.
(20:25):
Well we're not all in thistogether.
Right.
You know, we're not linkinganything.
Cause I, and I the, I don't knowif you guys have seen small town
crime.
That was the last one I did.
And it's Ashman and Nelms andMichelle Lang, they're kind of a
team of three and we shot thismovie for two point$2 million.
If you watch it, you will notbelieve that we could do that
(20:45):
with what we had.
But we did.
And they are kind of the futureand they are in that world of if
they're doing well, we're alldoing well.
Yeah.
So we all worked really hard,but we've got a great product as
a result.
But then here in lies the rub,we got a two point$2 million
movie that is fantastic.
John Hawks, Octavia Spencer,Anthony Anderson, like we had
everybody coming out.
We got bought by Sabaan and theydid a true independent.
(21:07):
They shot it, they fought forit, they fought for their edit,
they got it went to thefestival.
You were top five according toNew York Times and north by
northwest or South by SouthEaster, east by west coast
southwest.
Well, we got three extrashowings or two extra showings
as a real big hit.
Subhan came in the power rangersphenomena.
They bought us and shelled usall we opened.
(21:28):
We were in fourth year to twotheaters in Austin, one in
Colorado, the one in thosefields and another one in
Brooklyn.
Wow.
Six theaters for our big[inaudible] great movie.
I'd done not because I'm in it,but it's a good adult popcorn
movie and nothing.
What got the buzz then was theTonya movie, which I still think
is phenomenal.
(21:49):
Our take, oh with AllisonJanney.
Yeah, but the story itself, it'slike it's just, it's just that,
uh,
Speaker 5 (21:55):
so as I'm shelving your movie and really opening it
with such a tiny release is thatso they can sell it later to a
streaming platform.
Why, why not buy it and not aspart of one of the things about
an official, how they definewhere they start on our
residuals has to do with what'sconsidered to be an official
release.
So they can do six screens firstrun and it immediately alters
(22:16):
what our downstream residualsbecome.
Speaker 4 (22:19):
Isn't that what they did with the writers?
Cause they had, if you're on thenetwork, first run is this
second run is down here, butthey would do the second run on
their CW network, which isn't asI first got down and off
platform, I was one of theantenna bowls for Jack in the
box as you should be as I shouldbe.
I think I was up for that toowhen I got residual broken down
(22:43):
by the networks and I didn't getflocks doesn't have to pay as
much.
Oh yeah.
Now you're talking about back inthe day when Fox wasn't
technically a network,
Speaker 5 (22:52):
five network shows and the residuals were way
different on the first rundomestically and they've just
taken that model and they'vetweaked it over 20 years and
made it worse.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
So up in Toronto I was the voice of Bananas Gorilla
in Richard.
Scary and there was a greatthing that they did.
The people that did it, theydidn't have to be a residuals
cause we were Canadian artistsand there's no residuals up
there for certain things, for alot of things.
But the company that produced itkept the merchandising rights.
But gave the show to PBS, whichmeant by giving it to them,
(23:24):
there was no money in thatexchange.
So we don't get anything, eventhough that was handed over to
them or around the same time,McDonald's wanted to do a
special run with the figures andwanted us for our voices.
And Bananas.
Gorilla was one of the favoritelittle Q bananas.
He was a crazy little guy.
So McDonald's called up and theysaid, we have scale, and this
was back when scale was I think320 bucks or something.
(23:46):
And it's for a short run sellingthe figurines that I'm the voice
of.
And we said, well no, it's ashort run.
Make a triple 900 bucks andyou're McDonald's.
And they went[inaudible] and myagent at the time said, then I
suggest you take 8 billionserved off your sign twin.
And that's what it took saying,fuck you.
(24:07):
But then what they will do, Imean they ended up using us, but
it was sort of like theSimpson's thing when all of a
sudden someone explained that tome to saying also the Simpsons
guys go, hey, we're the voiceand they go, how many in this
room have a spot on impressionof a show like the Simpsons that
they know?
Then they go, oh, we'll justhire this guy wants to get a leg
up in the business.
Yeah, we're always on the shortend of the stick yet.
(24:30):
This is I, I was listening toJack Black on the Graham Norton
show and it was really kind ofcute and he was talking about,
he was going to the premier ofKung Fu Panda in Japan and
Norton looked at him and said,you're going to Japan.
He said, it's Kung Fu pants, soit's not you, it's a cartoon
figure.
It's in Japan, so it's not yourvoice.
It's the Japanese guy that doesyour voice for Japanese
(24:51):
audience.
So why did they want you there?
It's like, well he goes, cause Ineed it.
This is like they needed abonafide said liberty or
something.
It was very tongue and cheekabout it.
But therein lies the rub whenit's Jack Black or someone like,
I love when the Angelina Joliewas the voice of the tiger and
that it had one line for JackieChandler grunted when you go, we
got Jackie Chan's butter on thebillboard.
(25:16):
That's where all a specific tothat level too.
Like one of my favorite moviesis the Robinhood animated and
it's got all the great voices.
Well now one of my biggestbeefs, I think it was the dawn
of celebrity in, in the moviesof animation things, they're
their voices.
They're more recognizable fortheir celebrity, not for their
characterizations.
(25:36):
And the fact that, and I mean nodisrespect to will be Goldberg,
but she's the antithesis of whatI thought I hired.
You know what sounds like, youknow what I mean?
Like I wanted to be in thatboard and we go, no, no
disrespect.
She's so slow and laid back.
Maybe a slot like, and I go andI mean, no disrespect, I'm
talking about when the voicerenders.
(25:57):
Yeah.
Whereas I've always seen hyenasas the devil's Bellboy, like
Dennis leary gay.
You get that.
Okay.
That's right.
She was the voice of Hyena and Ikind of went[inaudible] but they
also, then they have[inaudible]and then again for the people
like I used to do very well.
I was the voice of Ford trucks,ray ban.
(26:18):
I won awards all over likeLondon, Chicago, La, New York.
Labatt's beer up in Canada.
Your celebrity.
But no overnight.
Guess what happened?
All of a sudden my competitionwent from me and a group of
people that had voices to TommyLee Jones, Gene Hackman, Jeff
Bridges, Sylvester Stallone anda, um, the knife thrower, the
(26:41):
medic seven.
Oh, uh, James Coburn.
Covert Coburn.
Yeah.
And all of a sudden, you know, Ialways kind of said like, they
must've been sitting around thatroom saying, who do we got for
this?
Well, we could have JamesColbert, who's the guy who makes
seven.
Yeah.
Or Gene Hackman.
You know, the guy or a JeremyRoderick.
Who's that local kid?
Fuck him.
[inaudible]
Speaker 7 (27:01):
before we go.
Cause I, we gotta get this outfor this close cause this is
just something that I have toknow.
Cause I know you've worked inNewfoundland and my wife's from
there.
Yeah.
So there's this show now I'veseen Russell Crowe on it and
there's a famous actor, I can'tthink of his name right off
hand.
Older gentleman who's been onit.
Have you?
Cause maybe I haven't seen ityet.
Been on the Republic of Doyle.
Speaker 4 (27:22):
No.
Why not?
As a, all the yelling, lots ofyelling has the Canadian, I've
been watching Shit's creek theremarch.
But I probably have to be alocal higher ed.
It's, well actually the, theshort did Newfoundland Rec.
Speaker 7 (27:38):
Yeah.
Oh you gotta.
You gotta do the, the guy whodrove you,
Speaker 4 (27:42):
you got to do that boy.
Hey Jeremy out over there.
I didn't realize it was CBC.
I can go on forever.
But um, as you said, time was byJohn Peters and Peter Guber.
Yeah.
The guys didn't test themselveslike leeches to things and, and
were barn for sets and just, youknow, he's Barbara Streisand's
hairdresser.
It's sort of like Donald Trump'scaddy is now one of his fucking
advisors.
It's like you just can't, Ican't figure it out.
(28:04):
Those guys, they want it to beattached and that's another part
of our business.
They're, they're like the, whatare the little things that stick
on Barnacles Bar Tomorrowsremoras they just nice rustic on
the bottom.
We can Fitzy so they were alwaysdoing that and it people hated
them but you had to buy themoff.
You had that cause they case inpoint.
(28:24):
Peters and Gruber's heard abouta show in Canada called the
beachcombers.
Beachcombers ran for 28 yearsbeachcombers at the height of
its success at the height of his, because Michael J.
Fox wanted to get on it and theysaid we can, it was a CBC
production, the Canadianbroadcast like the BBC but for
Canada, a Wayne Gretzky, we areall weaned on the show.
Ran For 28 years, couldn't it?
(28:45):
Ryan rental tell makes it apoint in his contracts.
He always some hope mentions inhis contract negotiated where
they're going to shoot somethingin Vancouver.
It's like he can't do it unlessthey promised to relaunch the
beachcombers.
Like it's all, it's all fine.
But they hear about the showthat ran for 28 years and they
go, oh, we've got to get here.
We got gotta, we got to get abarnacle around rise carver, the
(29:06):
remora her Mara.
Thank you.
I was gonna say it's a monkey,but uh, they call up Canada.
They're like, tell us about theshow.
It doesn't, what?
What's the show?
What's this concept?
What's this universal conceptthat can get us on a Gig for 28
years?
Well, it's about a, a man and ayoung boy and they drive around
in a boat along the shore ofBritish Columbia looking for
(29:28):
errand logs, homing the beachand getting the logs and
dragging them back to the lumberplace.
And then they meet at Molly'swharf cafe where they discuss
the log abuse.
Yeah.
You don't know what blind do Ilose a sock in the dryer.
(29:50):
And there was a mean guy, arelic who had a really cool
boat, but this thing ran for 28years and they were like, okay,
okay.
And then they found out it wasgovernment funded cause it was
the CBC, the Canadian BroadcastCorporation.
So it was getting money from thegovernment.
But I just love the fact thatthese guys thought we've got it
made.
We're going to get a[inaudible]and the same thing to show a
Newfoundland is rex rex.
(30:14):
I haven't seen that.
What's it on?
Is it on that flexible watch?
I know it's a Scandinavian show.
It's wrong for like 700,000years because hit the premise is
it's a cop solving crime withhis German shepherd partner and
I ski racks.
But I guess I guess they've gonethrough four cops and like seven
(30:36):
dogs put them up.
Cause it's like, well the dogdie.
But we've got another Germanshepherd detective like the show
ran for 40 years or something.
I all didn't care.
I was like, let's bring it tolife from Newfoundland.
I say between a republic ofDoyle and rex, there's gotta be
a travel advisory for ourNewfoundland and St John's.
Right?
I mean there's crime there everyweek, every week.
(30:59):
It's like the dog, like I'mdriving again with my driver to
the airport and ahead of us is acar.
It's got Nova Scotian licenseplates and this Guy Kinda goes
fucking Nova Scotia and it waslike they're side by each on the
Opry.
Like they have more in commonthan they do with 99% of the
(31:19):
world.
But it's still like that fuckingidiot from the west coast.
Before we wrap up, first of all,Jeremy, thank you very much.
Speaker 6 (31:32):
Oh Man.
Amazing.
We always want to make sure thatwe remind our audience that we
would not be doing this if itwere not for uh, Mr.
Jack Levy and a podcast sage.
So thank you very much.
Thank you to the studio downtownCulver City Studios.
That was awesome.
Thanks.
You guys can findus@unionworking.com obviously,
and I'm Kevin West and the otherfolks in the room from union
(31:52):
working are Bob Stevenson, RobFitzgerald and culinary.
Jeremy, thanks very much forbeing here, man.
We appreciate you gotta haveyour back.
God, I want to hear every storyin that guy's voice.
Alright, be sure and listen tothis guys.
Thanks.
Make sure to download the nextepisode.
I'd like to thank bluemicrophones.
There.
Mikes are fantastic and theirheadphones killer.
(32:14):
The gator case company.
Your equipment can travel instyle, protect your investment.
Presonus I just love theirstudio.
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kits, ambisonic, microphone andrecorders.
All Rock and of course tascam.
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You'll love email them throughtheir website or give them a
(32:57):
call today at(818) 508-2040that's(818) 508-2040 ask for my
Buddy Ryan.
He'll personally help you findthe right music for your
project.
Spirit production, music.comcheck them out.
You'll be thrilled.
Speaker 8 (33:17):
[inaudible].
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