Kimiko Glenn Says ‘Orange Is the New Black’ Cast Needed 2 Jobs to Survive
Orange is the New Black alum Kimiko Glenn is standing with fellow striking members of SAG-AFTRA amid their contract disputes with streamers like Netflix.
“My tits live on in perpetuity [and] I deserve to get paid for as many f—king streams as that s—t gets,” Glenn, 34, said in a Saturday, July 15, TikTok video, referring to her Orange is the New Black topless scenes. “Second of all, we did not get paid very well ever. And when I say ‘did not get paid very well,’ you would die.”
She continued: “People were bartenders still [and] people had their second jobs still. They were f—king famous as s—t, like internationally famous … but had to keep their second jobs because they couldn’t afford to not!”
Orange is the New Black, which was inspired by Piper Kerman’s memoir of the same name, was adapted by Netflix in 2013. The award-winning series followed Piper (Taylor Schilling) after she was booked at a local women’s prison to serve her sentence for transporting a suitcase of then-girlfriend Alex’s drug money. The show also starred Laura Prepon, Uzo Aduba, Laverne Cox, Danielle Brooks, Natasha Lyonne, Samira Wiley and Taryn Manning as Piper’s fellow inmates.
Glenn, who played Brook Soso on OITNB, did not reveal which costars needed to find other ways to supplement their income during the show’s run. However, she did further allege that they couldn’t afford to take taxis to and from set in New York City. Netflix has not publicly addressed her claims nor revealed the salaries of the OITNB cast.
It's 'Unbelievably Important': Stars React to the SAG-AFTRA Strike
Glenn had taken to her social media to extrapolate on the thoughts she — and several former costars — shared with the New Yorker earlier this month. In the Wednesday, July 12, profile, Glenn told the outlet that it was “just so sad” to receive a pittance of income for her work on such a beloved TV series.
Orange is the New Black dropped its seventh and final season on Netflix in July 2019. Since then, cast members like Glenn have received residual checks based on repeat TV binges. Glenn — who rose to fame playing Dawn in Sara Bareilles’ Waitress musical — also shared a copy of her paycheck via TikTok on Saturday, revealing she only earned a total of $27 in residuals in a recent statement.
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The SAG-AFTRA union, which represents more than 160,000 performers, authorized a strike earlier this week after the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) did not address any of their concerns regarding fair wages, the use of artificial intelligence and more issues during contract negotiations.
'Orange Is the New Black' Cast: Where Are They Now?
Per terms of the strike, unionized actors are forbidden from filming any TV or movie projects nor can they promote them during planned interviews or on social media. Many stars have also taken their grievances to the picket lines, including Mandy Moore, Jason Sudeikis, Olivia Wilde, Logan Lerman, Gilmore Girls alum Sean Gunn and the cast of Grey’s Anatomy.
“We’re not rich! We’re not fancy! This industry is a game, and we are all expected to play it. I don’t want to play it. I never wanted to play it. I just want to act and I want to be honest, and I would LOVE to never put on another ill-fitting fancy outfit again pretending like I’m more successful than you ‘cuz it’s bulls—t and I prefer pajamas,” Glenn wrote via her Instagram on Friday, July 14, defending her reasons for joining the strike. “It conflicts with the majority of our realities, and in turn HIGHLY stressful because we have the world watching us, expecting things of us, expecting us to deliver on their expectation of us, and without the means or resources, it can really do a number on not only your bank account, but your mental health.”
