This Netflix & Hulu Star Says He Barely Makes Enough To Support His Kids Amid SAG-AFTRA Strike

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission.

The ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike is putting the spotlight on the middle-class actor and what it’s really like to try and earn a living in Hollywood — it’s anything but easy. Luke Cook, an actor well-known for shows like Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Hulu’s Dollface, is breaking down the myth that all actors are rich to his TikTok followers. He’s debunking the idea that the strike is about “millionaires striking to be even bigger millionaires” out on the picket lines. 

Cook explained what the actors were fighting for by sharing his income from a four-episode appearance in Dollface. “Do you know how much they paid me to be on that billboard? Nothing. The amount they paid me to be on the show was not much better …I got paid per episode, which is two weeks of work, $7,500. Then it’s taxed, then a manager takes 10 percent, an agent takes 10 percent, and a lawyer takes five percent,” he revealed in his video. 

If fans think he’s driving a fancy car, think again. He currently drives a “2010 Mazda S3” and his “previous car was a 2006 Ford Taurus” and like “95 percent” of the SAG-AFTRA members, Cook “cannot make a living from acting” and needs to have a “side hustle.” The Australian-born actor isn’t just supporting himself, he also has a wife, stylist Kara Cook, and two sons — and remember, Los Angeles is an expensive city to live in. 

Cook reminded his followers that “this discussion isn’t about millionaires,” it’s about the working-class actors who are trying to fight for a “portion of the profits these streamers and these big companies are bringing in.” In the meantime, the talented actor is working his other gigs to keep the money flowing in his household, which includes working as a fitness instructor and launching a protein drink. “I think it would be great to get paid money to be in your favorite shows,” he summed up. “That just seems fair to me. I shouldn’t have to have two side jobs in order to survive.”

Before you go, click here to see all the celebrities who supported the SAG-AFTRA & WGA strikes.