EXCLUSIVE: An enormous week for UK actors union Fairness has kicked off with its landmark authorized motion towards casting listing Highlight.
Tomorrow, prime officers from the 50,000-strong union will start a two-day Excessive Court docket battle in London that might radically alter the panorama for a way British actors acquire work.
Fairness’s authorized motion towards Highlight, which is being led by plenty of actor members plus President Lynda Rooke, got here like a bolt out of the blue in the beginning of final 12 months.
The union has stated Highlight expenses exorbitant membership charges of £198 ($268) per 12 months customary charge and “exploits its monopoly place within the trade,” on condition that the overwhelming majority of UK productions forged by way of Highlight. It alleges that Highlight has hiked costs by 30% for the reason that platform was acquired by American agency Expertise Programs LLC in 2021.
Fairness is searching for a change in regulation that will require Highlight’s charges “be not more than an inexpensive estimate of the price of manufacturing,” based on the particulars of the union’s declare, which Deadline has seen. There would even be “an order that Highlight state the way it assesses” this estimate, per the declare, plus a “declaration that any one who subscribes to Highlight is entitled to full entry” together with advantages supplied as an addition to its fundamental membership tier.
Fairness backed a latest modification in parliament that it stated would cease Highlight charging upfront charges to these searching for work, however we’re instructed this modification was finally dropped. Highlight has all the time confused that it expenses month-to-month membership charges to customers, by no means demanding they be upfront.
Highlight, we’re instructed, was blindsided when Fairness first delivered the declare in Jan 2024.
Talking on a Highlight podcast earlier this month, CEO Matt Hood stated the companies’ charges rose 9% beneath inflation between 2010 and 2025, though he confused that prices have elevated over this era. Preventing hearth with hearth, he contrasted this rise with Fairness subs, which he stated shot up by round 18.5% this previous 12 months and are “about 20% greater than they might have been had simply inflation taken them.”
“That’s not a criticism of Fairness, that’s their very own worth proposition to argue to their very own subscribers,” stated Hood. “However definitely, as ours has been constantly beneath inflation and I will surely say [Spotlight fees are] not that costly. And in actual phrases, [Spotlight fees are] cheaper than [they were] traditionally.”
Hood, a former Fairness official who labored for the union for 17 years, denied he’s wanting ahead to his day in courtroom with the union, having labored arduous to “resolve this in a non-legal method.”
“It’s a disappointing situation,” he added. “As I stated, I labored there for the most effective a part of 20 years. I do know lots of people nonetheless on the union. The people who find themselves the claimants within the case are all people who find themselves in my cellphone, individuals I’ve labored with traditionally.”
Rooke stated Highlight’s “monopoly on casting” is disproportionately impacting working class performers, minorities and those that don’t safe common work,” a problem “that’s deeply and extensively felt by our members.”
The battle strains have definitely been drawn.
Subsequent battle: union takes on company fee
Whereas Fairness focuses on the landmark authorized motion, it’s quietly getting ready for a special battle towards fee charged by UK brokers.
The union handed a movement at its convention a number of weeks again that may look at tips on how to cease actors being paid beneath nationwide minimal wage as soon as they’ve paid their brokers’ commissioning charges on sure jobs. These charges are typically between 10% and 15% of an actors’ pay, however can attain above 20%, we’re instructed.
Fairness is within the technique of “investigating” methods to completely take away the exemption that enables actors to be paid these beneath minimal wage-fees, whereas it should quickly kickstart a “public consciousness” marketing campaign on the matter.
Not like industries such because the hospitality sector, Fairness coverage officer Dugald Johnson instructed us there’s nothing stoping brokers from taking weighty commissioning charges, an issue that he says is being raised with Fairness officers “on a regular basis.”
Johnson needs to construct a physique of proof to take to UK employment minister Justin Madders, whereas forging a “wider technique desirous about the kinds of charges brokers take from performers.” He contrasted this with the scenario in America, the place fee tends to solely be utilized on charges 10% above the SAG-AFTRA union’s minimal charge, whereas manufacturing corporations typically pay the fee on bigger productions.
Johnson confused that Fairness doesn’t need UK producers to step in and pay the fee however is as an alternative other ways round the issue, after a supply from producer commerce physique Pact instructed us it might “be unfair to count on the producer to pay the fee as a result of they haven’t any contractual management over it.” The problem of company fee has reared its head many occasions in personal over the previous few years, the supply added.
Talking on situation of anonymity, one British agent identified that Fairness is the one negotiating the minimal charges on their members’ behalf, from which brokers take fee.
“If after fee an actor is incomes underneath dwelling wage then the accountability falls with Fairness to issue the share in and to barter accordingly”, added the agent.
Whereas noting that “some businesses are commissioning over and above the usual 10-15% vary,” the supply added: “We put money into our actors with no assure of ever incomes a penny.”
Responding to variations between the UK and U.S. system, the agent identified that within the UK the expectation is to fulfil the mixed duties taken on within the U.S typically by a staff of brokers, managers and attorneys.
