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Longtime Criminal Minds star Paget Brewster has addressed the lack of streaming residuals that actors are paid, calling it “unfortunate.”
Brewster, 56, who returns as FBI profiler Emily Prentiss in the new season of Paramount+’s Criminal Minds: Evolution, spoke to The Independent about the difficult change in the residual model.
Residuals are long-term payments to those who worked on films and TV shows, negotiated by unions, for reruns and other airings after the initial release. The basic pay structure was initially developed in 1960 following that year’s monumental joint writers’ and actors’ strike. It has since remained a point of contention among actors and unions.
“There’s no residuals in streaming,” Brewster clarified. “That’s not the model. They pay us for the episode, and we’re happy to be doing the show. It’s not the network or studios’ fault.”
Criminal Minds was originally a network television show that aired on CBS from 2005 to 2020. Following its cancellation after 15 seasons, Paramount+ revived the series as Criminal Minds: Evolution in 2022.
“Unfortunately, our union, a long time ago, didn’t fight for that. So, unfortunately, anything on Netflix — the actors are not receiving residuals. There’s no foreign residuals anymore. So it was a nice life for a while, but it’s over. So that’s unfortunate,” Brewster said.
“It’s unfortunate for a lot of people, a lot of people who needed that money to support themselves, working gig to gig. I mean, I’ve always been frugal, and every week I thought my career was over, so I’ve saved money. But it’s tough,” she acknowledged.
“The model has changed, and that may mean that people produce their own things. That may mean that the way filmmaking and television shows will work, people will agree to take a pay cut for a long-term investment. I don’t know. But the business has changed, and I’m curious to see where it goes.”
Brewster’s comments come in response to Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo, who recently hit out at the “really s***ty” streaming residual model.
“People don’t stream the last 10 years more than they stream the first 10 years,” Pompeo told Variety of the long-running medical drama. “Most people stream the first 10 years the most, and there’s no residual structures for any of those writers, actors, directors. That, to me, is really s***ty and really unfair. So, me being on the show a little bit and still getting to at least make money from them profiting off of us is more digestible for me. That’s why I stay on, to be honest.”
Both Pompeo and Brewster have starred on their respective shows, Grey’s Anatomy and Criminal Minds, for decades.
Brewster first joined the hit crime procedural in its second season in 2006 as a replacement for Lola Glaudini’s Elle Greenway. After several years, she briefly departed the show in its sixth season due to “budget cuts.” She made a brief return in season seven before leaving yet again and finally coming back for good in season nine. She’s remained on the series ever since.
The new season of Criminal Minds: Evolution premieres on May 7 on Paramount+, with episodes released weekly until the season finale on July 10.
English (US) ·