Actor Cheyenne Jackson’s Initiative for SAG-AFTRA Health Insurance Gains Attention
Actor Cheyenne Jackson is attracting attention as he works to help his fellow performers qualify for SAG-AFTRA health insurance, amidst ongoing discussions about the lack of production jobs in Los Angeles.
Jackson, who is known for his roles in “American Horror Story” and “Glee,” started the “One Job Away” initiative after actress Kathy Bates aided him in landing a speaking role. This role enabled him to reach the minimum earnings requirement of $28,000 necessary to be eligible for SAG-AFTRA health insurance.
This coverage now protects Jackson, his husband, and their twins. He’s now urging other actors who may be close to meeting the coverage criteria to join his cause.
The issue of employment in the entertainment sector was also discussed during a recent hearing at the Television Academy, where industry leaders and lawmakers gathered to emphasize the importance of revitalizing Hollywood production.
Actress Kate Linder expressed, “We’re all just one job away because we don’t know what’s happening. We have to fix this.”
Lawmakers pointed out that increasing incentives for film and television production could help retain jobs in California. Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, representing District 41, noted, “We have a tax credit program that isn’t yet competitive with other states. Other states have uncapped programs; ours is limited.”
Jason George, an actor and producer known for “Grey’s Anatomy” and a member of the SAG-AFTRA national board, highlighted that difficulties in meeting health insurance earnings may reflect a more extensive issue of job scarcity in the entertainment industry.
“The reality is it all comes back to jobs,” George remarked. He also countered the notion that higher eligibility requirements were to blame for the challenges. “It’s not because we raised it. It’s because you’re not working, and you’re not working because there aren’t jobs in Los Angeles the way there were,” he stated.
Both industry workers and lawmakers agree that boosting production in Los Angeles is essential to solving the employment issues faced by actors and other professionals in the entertainment field.
