‘I Get Twenty Dollars!’: ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Cast Members Reportedly Got So Screwed By Netflix On Residuals Some Of Them Can Barely Pay Their Rent

On the heels of a historic strike being launched by members of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), stars of hugely-popular shows that put streaming platforms like Netflix on the map are speaking out over pay disparities. And guys, it’s worse than we thought.

The cast of Orange is the New Black — the Emmy-winning series Netflix built its reputation on a decade ago — recently revealed that despite the critical and commercial success of their prison drama, many of them are working day jobs and struggling to make rent. The New Yorker talked to nearly a dozen recurring guest stars from the show, names like Matt McGorry, Kimiko Glenn, Lea DeLaria, and Diane Guerrero who played fan-favorite supporting cast members for much of the series’ run. The group claimed that despite being told that the show was as popular as competitors like HBO’s Game of Thrones at the time, many of them were being paid very little and have seen even less in residual checks — how most working actors survive in the industry — since OITNB ended.

Glenn, who played inmate Brook Soso for the show’s entire run, reshared a TikTok she made showing a royalty check from the series that totaled a measly $27.30.