Cheyenne Jackson Launches 'One Job Away' to Save Actors’ Health — SkimNews
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- Cheyenne Jackson launched the 'One Job Away' Instagram campaign after nearly losing his SAG-AFTRA health insurance despite a decades-long acting career, sharing headshots and bios of actors just shy of qualifying for coverage
- Kathy Bates secured Jackson a five-line role on 'Matlock' after he reached out for help, enabling him to meet the $28,000 annual earnings threshold needed to retain health insurance for himself and his family
- SAG-AFTRA requires members to earn approximately $28,933 in covered earnings over a 12-month period to qualify for health insurance, a threshold that resets annually regardless of past earnings or residuals
- Drake Bell publicly criticized SAG-AFTRA after learning he did not qualify for health coverage despite 35 years in the industry, posting a screenshot showing he was $11,452.47 short of the minimum
- Jack Haven and Heather Matarazzo revealed in September they were at risk of losing SAG-AFTRA health insurance without additional work, joining others in spotlighting the financial instability faced by even established actors
- Jamie Lee Curtis amplified the 'One Job Away' campaign by reposting submissions to her 6.7 million Instagram followers, increasing visibility for actors like Trace Lysette, Jai Rodriguez, and Daniel Franzese who are close to the eligibility threshold
Why it matters: Hundreds of actors, including veterans with decades of credits, are one job away from losing health coverage despite past success, exposing a system where residuals don’t count toward eligibility and annual earnings resets leave even well-known performers financially vulnerable. The campaign spotlights a structural gap that affects long-term stability in the industry.
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