LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Billy Porter has revealed how the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes have affected his finances. Speaking to the Evening Standard, the 53-year-old stated, "I have to sell my house because we're on strike. And I don't know when we're gonna go back [to work]. The life of an artist until you make f**k-you money, which I haven't made yet, is still check-to-check."
In October 2020, Porter acquired the property for $1.4M jointly with his estranged spouse Adam Smith, from whom he separated in July. Recent estimates indicated the property's value has appreciated to approximately $2,307,700. This single-family home, built in 1970, spans 4,500sqft and encompasses four bedrooms and five bathrooms, per the Daily Mail.
'I was supposed to be in a new movie'
Porter disclosed that two of his upcoming ventures had been canceled due to the strike. He said, "I was supposed to be in a new movie, and on a new television show starting in September. None of that is happening," adding, "So to the person who said 'we're going to starve them out until they have to sell their apartments,' you've already starved me out."
Porter was referring to a statement from a Hollywood executive, who reportedly said, "The endgame is to allow things to drag on until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses."
Median salary for an actor was $46,960 in 2021
Efforts to address these concerns have included meetings between representatives of writers and studio executives but the issues remain unresolved. The strikes have had a ripple effect, reaching Georgia's flourishing film production industry as well. This industry contributes billions of dollars in annual wages and tens of thousands of jobs. In this backdrop, the financial hardships actors face have become evident, with the median salary for an actor being reported at $46,960 in 2021 according to a US News and World Report. In response, prominent actors such as George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Matt Damon, Nicole Kidman, and Julia Roberts have established an emergency fund that has garnered over $15M to support unemployed actors.
However, no such initiative has been set up for the 11,000 writers who are part of the ongoing strike. One of the chief hurdles in arriving at a resolution pertains to compensation structures and residuals associated with content distributed via streaming services.
"There's no contract for it and they don't have to be transparent with the numbers, it's not Nielsen ratings anymore," Porter said, adding, "The streaming companies are notoriously opaque with their viewership figures. The business has evolved. So the contract has to evolve and change, period. To hear Disney CEO Bob Iger say that our demands for a living wage are unrealistic? While he makes $78,000 a day? Child, we got to get our money!"
What is Billy Porter's net worth?
Emmy award winner, Porter, has solidified his presence as a distinctive and forward-looking figure within the entertainment industry. His impactful portrayals in productions such as 'Pose', coupled with his audacious style choices that actively challenge conventional gender norms, have cemented his identity. According to Celebrity Net Worth, he has a net worth of $5M.
