Long-Standing Strikes Shake Hollywood: Haynes, Cinnamon, Jones Fight for Fair Pay

Actor Ashli Haynes, Holly Cinnamon, and Kyra Jones are expressing their frustrations as they continue to strike after the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild: American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) walked off sets 120 days and 50 days ago, respectively. With no end in sight to the strikes, the entertainment industry is at a standstill, further amplifying the financial unrest among those without work.

Haynes, Cinnamon, and Jones have spoken out on their struggles during this period. Disrupted film and TV productions have contributed to their anxiety and stress, yet they continue their fight for a fair entertainment industry.

Conversations with Deadline reveal the difficulties these actors face not just due to the strike but also within the larger framework of Hollywood payment practices. Haynes, a leading lady in the series Leimert Park and recurring actor on Lena Waithe's Twenties, shared her experiences with untimely payments and elusive residual checks. According to Haynes, the much-awaited residual payments for the first season of Twenties only arrived as the team prepared for the second. Calls to BET, the network airing Twenties, for their input on residual payments have gone unanswered.

Canadian born Cinnamon, a member of SAG-AFTRA, has similar concerns. After snagging a role in Netflix’s Marvel series Daredevil, she experienced firsthand the industry's murky pay practices, from casting holds without compensation to the unpredictability of residual income: sometimes as paltry as a single cent.

Jones, a member of SAG-AFTRA and the WGA, while an active actor, also carries writing credits on shows including ABC’s Queens and Hulu’s Woke. Her experience echoes her colleagues' frustrations, with residuals for her work on Showtime's The Chi still elusive.

Now that we've chewed on the facts, let's serve the gravy of witticisms.

It's a tale as old as time, yet no less tragic; creatives in Hollywood fighting strenuously for their fair share while the bigwigs hold the purse strings tighter than a stage mom does her child prodigy's schedule. If there were Oscars for enduring financial hardship while simultaneously contributing immeasurably to the entertainment industry, our battling trio would certainly be taking home the golden statuette.

Haynes, with her claim of invisible residuals, seems to have conjured payment apparitions worthy of their own Twilight Zone episode. On the other hand, Cinnamon’s introduction to Hollywood appears as startling as one of Daredevil's sudden, acrobatic takedowns. Her meager paychecks are giving the term "starving artist" a more literal, less romantic sheen. Why, I wonder, aren’t we more uproarious about pennies being passed off as payment to revered actors?

Then there's Jones, straddling the worlds of performance and writing, a dual role more challenging than any character she’s ever portrayed. Her experience with elusive residuals feels uncomfortably like another season cliffhanger, the resolution perpetually teased but never delivered.

The world watches as these creatives, earning their daily bread through love of their craft and raw talent, take their stand, shifting the spotlight from the dazzle of Hollywood's highlight reel to its darker, grittier backstage. But here's the stinger, Hollywood. If a career in the industry feels like an awkwardly choreographed dance around payment, you may have to find new partners for your ball.

A toast, then, to Haynes, Cinnamon, and Jones! May your resilience shine brighter than any marquee. And for our readers, consider this: the next time your favorite actor graces the screen, remember the courage and resolve they've showcased off-screen, their boundless talent matched only by their determination for justice. After all, Hollywood wouldn't be Hollywood without its leading ladies.