Tommy Dorfman exposes underwhelming salary for Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why during first season

Tommy Dorfman has revealed the underwhelming amount she earned as a cast member on the first season of Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why in the wake of the Hollywood actors strike.

The hit drama followed a group of high school pupils after the suicide of one of their classmates across four season on the streaming service between 2017 and 2020.

The 31-year-old, who played high school student Ryan Shaver in the first two series, has now shed light on the disparity between a show’s popularity and the pay for those starring on it.

On Tuesday, she shared on Instagram Threads: “My earnings for the entire first season of 13 Reasons Why were $29,953.24 [£23,300] prior to agency and manager fees (20 per cent) and taxes.

“Eight episodes over six months.”

The screen star clarified that her earnings meant that she “barely qualified for insurance”, despite being a significant role in the international series.

She continued: “I did all of the promo and had KEY ART for this show, flew round trip from NYC to SF [San Francisco] to shoot for every episode, was kept for days without pay/working. I barely qualified for insurance.

“Within the first 28 days of release, the show’s season one garnered a total of 476 million view hours. This is why we strike.”

Dorfman is not the only high-profile figure to start a conversation about pay in the wake of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strikes.

Last week, Mandy Moore revealed that she’d received a “very, very tiny” amount in streaming revenue from her lead role in This is Us, which is currently available to stream on Disney+ in the UK and Ireland.

Moore played family matriarch Rebecca Pearson in the NBC series which ended last May after five seasons.

Despite playing a pivotal role in the show, she claimed that she hasn’t earned much after the show was made available on streaming services.

“I was talking with my business manager who said he’s received a residual for a penny and two pennies,” she recently told The Hollywood Reporter.

Both Dorfman and Moore’s candour comes as Dwayne Johnson reportedly donated a “seven-figure” amount to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation to help performers who will be hit hardest during the strikes.

The charity organises financial relief for the union’s 160,000 members who have been on strike over concerns over a number of issues including pay and the use of artificial intelligence (AI). The former wrestler’s generous donation will reportedly help 7,000 to 10,000 members.

SAG-AFTRA has been holding industrial action since failing to reach an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).

The Writers Guild of America started industrial action on May 2, before Hollywood stars were pictured on the picket lines in the US over the past week.

The British union, which is not striking, announced earlier this week it would hold protests in Manchester and London in solidarity with the US entity.