TV actors now allowed to appear in multiple shows at the same time
 

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It was just approved by the actors unions today.


So if it works out scheduling-wise, it's feasible that an actor can be a series regular on 2 shows at the same time. It means someone like Anson Mount could feasibly do Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and also do an FX or AMC show at the same time as long as scheduling permits. He's no longer exclusive to Paramount.

Re: TV actors now allowed to appear in multiple shows at the same time
 

Never knew that wasn't allowed already. :shrug:

Re: TV actors now allowed to appear in multiple shows at the same time
 

Seemed like plenty of actors have already been doing this.

Re: TV actors now allowed to appear in multiple shows at the same time
 

Yeah I was like there has to be more to this because there have been many actors who appear in multiple shows. Max Theriot is one that comes to mind immediately, since he has Seal Team and that new firefighter show.

Re: TV actors now allowed to appear in multiple shows at the same time
 

The one I'll remember to star in 2 series on different networks. (Not to mention a bunch of guest appearances within the same time period.)

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Re: TV actors now allowed to appear in multiple shows at the same time
 

That is what kept Patrick Warburton from appearing on Seinfeld during seasons 7 and 8. He was under exclusive contract to appear on Dave World on CBS.

As people have observed, they do see actors appearing on more than one show, but they are not under exclusive contracts.

Re: TV actors now allowed to appear in multiple shows at the same time
 

I think Alison Brie was on still on Mad Men during her run on Community.

Re: TV actors now allowed to appear in multiple shows at the same time
 

Nope. She only had a few guest appearances after Community debuted.

Re: TV actors now allowed to appear in multiple shows at the same time
 

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Heather Locklear was on TJ Hooker and Dynasty at the same time. Both shows were on ABC, and both were produced by Aaron Spelling.

Re: TV actors now allowed to appear in multiple shows at the same time
 

It's about the exclusivity agreement. Like when William Petersen was on CSI as the lead and producer, he wasn't allowed to take other jobs on production hiatuses.

That's why I said in my example someone like Anson Mount can take other jobs now. I assume Max Theriot doesn't have an exclusive agreement to only work on SEAL team and his new show has a different production schedule.

Re: TV actors now allowed to appear in multiple shows at the same time
 

Before there has to be special negotiations because of the excluisivity contract.

CBS and ABC made one of these deals for The Conners first season so Johnny Galecki could appear in a few episodes while working on The Big Bang Theory.

Re: TV actors now allowed to appear in multiple shows at the same time
 

Does this mean it’s not allowable to keep your lead actor from appearing on two shows at once, no matter what you pay him?
I can’t think of any present-day regular actor who fits the bill as the irreplaceable and iconic face of a major long-running show (maybe Larry David?), but in the past having John Hamm or Bryan Cranston or James Gandolfini or Julia Louise Dreyfus on another show at the same time as their iconic Emmy winning performance would have possibly diminished the power of that performance a bit.

Re: TV actors now allowed to appear in multiple shows at the same time
 

Being the iconic face of a major TV show is a full-time, high-paying acting job, so there would probably have to be a strong personal (artistic?) motivation to work regularly on a second TV show, and they would likely want to go 180 from whatever they were doing primarily, like Jon Hamm would want to do comedy in contrast to his dramatic Don Draper character.

And actors at that star level have always been looking for a movie to do during hiatus, not another TV show. But with the explosion in content, this just removes the barrier from taking opportunities. And with shows producing fewer episodes per season, the scheduling barrier that used to be obvious is less so.

Re: TV actors now allowed to appear in multiple shows at the same time
 

So what's the point of exclusive contracts then?

I'd also think it would be a logistical nightmare for a lead of a show, there has to be at least some kind of priority given?

Re: TV actors now allowed to appear in multiple shows at the same time
 

Based on what I posted and what you quoted, I don't understand your question. Warburton's exclusive contract with a CBS show kept him from appearing as Puddy on Seinfeld for two years.

If an actor has signed a contract with Show A, they are legally obligated to fulfill that contract which means showing up for work on that show's production schedule. But an exclusive contract restricted what they could do on their off time.
So if Show A goes on hiatus for a few weeks or months, and the actor wants to work on Show B during that time, they are free to do so.

Re: TV actors now allowed to appear in multiple shows at the same time
 

I knew about the old exclusivity contracts from the old Hollywood days where actors worked only for specific studios, but I had no idea something like this existed in the modern age. My assumption was always that the regular 26 episode per season schedule kept them too busy to do anything else.

But now with shorter seasons, it makes more sense to let actors spread out a bit, though now we may start seeing the thing that BBC shows have where the same actors are in every other show.

Re: TV actors now allowed to appear in multiple shows at the same time
 

Some actors may not want to appear in multiple shows. I know like the actors who are series regulars on the CBS and NBC procedurals have to work 6 to 8 months. And that can be a grind. Once their season wraps, they probably want their hiatus to relax.

Re: TV actors now allowed to appear in multiple shows at the same time
 

The way television has historically operated would have made it nearly impossible for an actor to have a large role on two series at the same time, back when they did twenty-two/twenty-six episode seasons that aired from the fall to the spring.

But now we have a climate where seasons are frequently shorter at six to twelve episodes, don't air in the traditional fall-to-spring window, and aren't necessarily released out on a regular schedule.

So a lead on, say, a Netflix series could be able to take the lead on an HBO or AMC series, since the seasons are shorter, they don't air at the same time, and don't have to follow a traditional annual schedule. Something like Stranger Things can literally have years between seasons.

However, if the casts of one series all have second series, scheduling filming could get really messy. Their first series would probably have to be given priority. I would imagine that an ensemble like Stranger Things would get pretty messy if all of the actors got leads or major parts in other series.

Re: TV actors now allowed to appear in multiple shows at the same time
 

Yeah, the old Hollywood days were abysmal. Like Hitchcock and Tippi Hedren, I'm sure that was a common thing at the time.

What I was questioning earlier was if you have an actor who's main contract is to be on one show, but he gets a side gig, couldn't the side gig be absolutely screwed if the main production changed schedules or ran long? I guess I can understand if there are shorter seasons and thus shorter filming schedules, an actor shouldn't be held hostage until that first production airs, I was thinking more of a scheduling thing and how they determine who has priority. Like if a bit player has a contract, can he break that contract now if he gets a bigger part in a second production, or is he bound to prioritize the first even though it makes them much less?

Was it just old school thinking that prevented the studio from allowing Warburton back on Seinfeld? Or was it really a fear that Rules of Engagement or whatever would be hurt if Warburton appeared on Seinfeld?

Re: TV actors now allowed to appear in multiple shows at the same time
 

Same here and who the hell is Anson Mount was my next google.


Edit:

Still don't know who he is...

Re: TV actors now allowed to appear in multiple shows at the same time
 

I guess you didn’t watch Hell on Wheels and the current Star Trek Strange New Worlds?

Re: TV actors now allowed to appear in multiple shows at the same time
 

It comes from an interview I saw with PW. He appeared as Puddy at the end of Seinfeld 6, and then Jerry wanted to have him back, but his contract with CBS wouldn't let him do it, so he was unable to appear as Puddy for two years. IDK the reasoning.

But, yeah, it's not like they are thinking actors are going to be taking part-time night jobs and try to work two shows at once. It frees them up to do what they want when their primary job is on hiatus.

Re: TV actors now allowed to appear in multiple shows at the same time
 

He was the star of Marvel's Inhumans on ABC.

Re: TV actors now allowed to appear in multiple shows at the same time
 

And it’s not like your going to see someone like Shemar Moore work on SWAT and also work on Chicago PD. That would never happen.

But if he feels like it, he could work on a Netflix limited series or do something on AMC if he wanted to.

Re: TV actors now allowed to appear in multiple shows at the same time
 

-eek- Britney's love interest in Crossroads!!!!

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