‘The Afterparty’ star says she agreed to do the non-union film for $1,200
Tiffany Haddish has her work cut out for her first leading film role, which she says gained momentum on cable television and streaming when “Girls Trip” became a hit in the summer of 2017.
Haddish, in an interview with The Associated Press, said she was not properly compensated after the film aired on BET, VH1 and other networks.
“Then streaming is everywhere, this movie,” Haddish said in the video you can watch above. “And I don’t get a cent. »
Haddish, 43, did not name the film but said she was homeless at the time of filming.
“They were supposed to pay me $1,200 to make the movie,” Haddish said. “I wasn’t a union member. It was a non-union film so there was nothing I could do about it. They never paid me a cent. The producers gave me 10 DVDs and said, “Sell them. Good luck.’ »
Haddish added that she never watched the film, calling it the “second worst movie” of her career.
Obviously, if the role had been filmed under a SAG-AFTRA contract, it would have triggered significant residuals when it was rebroadcast on cable networks. Regardless, releasing the film on streaming platforms would have paid a fraction of what cable TV costs, posing a major sticking point for SAG-AFTRA in its strike against AMPTP, which lasted Friday 56 days. (The WGA strike has lasted 129 days).
Haddish’s fortunes soon changed.
Haddish said that in 2020 she received $80,000 for “Girls Trip,” which helped propel her to other big starring roles, including 2018’s “Night School” with Kevin Hart and more recently “Haunted Mansion” and the Apple TV+ series “The Afterparty.” “Girls Trip,” starring Regina Hall, Queen Latifah and Jada Pinkett Smith, hit theaters in July 2017 and was a surprise hit that summer, especially as the decline of mainstream comedies at the box office was already well underway. With a budget of $19 million, “Girls Trip” grossed over $140 million worldwide.
To learn more about Jolie Bobine’s coverage of the Hollywood strikes, click here.
An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Haddish was referring to “Girls Trip” and the lack of streaming residuals when she mentioned she wasn’t “getting a dime.” The story has been corrected throughout to clarify the reference.