Refusing star billing?

[Eddie Roth]

In the TNG companion, it says that Diana Muldaur declined the offer to have her credit listed in the opening credits. I wonder if anyone has more information on the subject of her contract or why any actor would rather be listed as a (however titled) guest appearance than one of the show's stars.

Anyone?

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Being listed alphabetically in the opening credits is, in fact, considered a less desirable credit than appearing alone as "special guest star" - Muldaur was opting for more credit, not less. Same reason that Jonthan Harris remained a "guest" for the entire run of "Lost In Space."

Only Stewart and Frakes (who was presumed have the co-starring part at the beginning) had anything like "star billing" in the opening credits, as they were up front rather than alphabetical. My memory is fuzzy on this point, but I believe their names appeared in a slightly larger font than the others as well.

 

[Sec31Mike]

I think that Diana refused star billing to avoid making any commitments. She did actually have a career then, with LA Law, and making movies. Plus I don't think the fans really took to her, I didn't for some reason.

 

[chardman]

There's also the fact that "guest stars" earn a slightly higher SAG rate than "regular" cast members.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

chardman said:
There's also the fact that "guest stars" earn a slightly higher SAG rate than "regular" cast members.

Exactly. Billing doesn't have anything to do with "commitments" and confers none. It has to do with status and money, and Muldaur opted for a bit more of both in being a "guest star."

 

[Eddie Roth]

Indeed more money? Interesting. Makes one wonder if those cast members who did end up with an opening sequence credit (Gates McFadden on her return?) were just so desperate that they didn't care to negotiate for "more"? ;-)

 

[Sec31Mike]

I think some of you guys are a little off base, credit in the opener would have required a contract. If she didn't want to be along for a long period of time she wouldnt want to be forced to do episodes when she wants to move on.

Guest stars get paid based upon their agent's skill and star appeal. They didn't earn more than the regular cast. Main cast salary was the number one cost of making the episodes. The longer they stay on the show, the more their agent's got their salary bumped. It was reported that by S7 of TNG regular cast salary was $2Mil per episode.

It wasn't money, it was commitment.

 

[Trekker4747]

It didn't make a whole lot of sense to me either that a "guest star" would get a higher salary than the main cast, unless that guest star was a "SPEICAL gust star" and required the extra money.

But, as I understood it, Muldar's billing was part comitment and part on her request since she didn't feel she was "part of the show."

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Trekker4747 said:
It didn't make a whole lot of sense to me either that a "guest star" would get a higher salary than the main cast, unless that guest star was a "SPEICAL gust star" and required the extra money.

Muldaur was a "special guest star." Better billing, better money.

 

[Sec31Mike]

UWC Defiance said:

Trekker4747 said:
It didn't make a whole lot of sense to me either that a "guest star" would get a higher salary than the main cast, unless that guest star was a "SPEICAL gust star" and required the extra money.

Muldaur was a "special guest star." Better billing, better money.

Do you think TPTB would justify paying someone, who for all intents and purposes a main character, an elevated salary for that long? Don't you think that the other cast members might get rubbed wrong?

 

[HaplessCrewman]

I hope this is not off topic but what about Whoopi Goldberg requesting her name not be used to promote Generations? And what about Frank Langella asking not to be credited for the three episodes of Deep Space Nine he did? Memory Alpha says he did not want to seem to be doing it for the exposure or money.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Sec31Mike said:
I think that Diana refused star billing to avoid making any commitments. She did actually have a career then, with LA Law, and making movies.

Actually, she refused star billing and refused to sign a five-year contract. According to a "Starlog" interview at the time of Season Two, she said she had just moved out of LA proper with intentions to semi-retire and only did TNG as a favour to her old friend, Gene Roddenberry.

After "The Return of McCloud", the reunion telemovie that prevented her being available for the first three episodes of TNG Season Three, Muldaur was made a very large offer to do "LA Law", again as a coveted "special appearance by..." credit, IIRC..

 

[Therin of Andor]

HaplessCrewman said:
I hope this is not off topic but what about Whoopi Goldberg requesting her name not be used to promote Generations?

Because she was an Academy Award-winner with a role in the film that was quite crucial to the movie's plot, she'd be entitled to claim top billing (by way of Academy etiquette). She told her agent she did not want to knock her friend, Patrick Stewart, of the top rung on his first starring role in a film. so she "waived billing".

And what about Frank Langella asking not to be credited for the three episodes of Deep Space Nine he did? Memory Alpha says he did not want to seem to be doing it for the exposure or money.

He'd decided he wanted only movie roles on his CV at that point, and did DS9 as a favour.

Poor ol' Judson Scott! He let his agent "waive billing" on ST II because Paramount wouldn't give him an opening credit (he was thought to be on a crest of a wave with "The Phoenix"). He assumed it meant he'd get a credit on the end and was stunned, on opening night, to see his name gone altogether.

 

[HaplessCrewman]

Thanks for the info! Never knew the story behind Whoopi's reasoning.

And I totally forgot about the Jusdon Scott incident! Poor guy, indeed.

What about Siddig El Fadil? When did he become Alexander Siddig?

 

[chardman]

Sec31Mike said:
Guest stars get paid based upon their agent's skill and star appeal. They didn't earn more than the regular cast. Main cast salary was the number one cost of making the episodes. The longer they stay on the show, the more their agent's got their salary bumped. It was reported that by S7 of TNG regular cast salary was $2Mil per episode.

Sorry, but there is so much false information in this paragraph that I hardly know where to start.

Typically, a lead cast member in a current-day television production earns anywhere between $12k to $20k per episode in the years of their initial contract (typically, 3 to 5 years). Once that contract has expired, and a new contract has been negotiated (and if a performer is really, really lucky), they might just break the $100k per episode mark.

Only a scant handful of shows have ever breached the $1 million per episode mark for lead players, and they've all been on the air for more than 7 years, and were consistently somewhere in the top 5 ratings-wise. (Seinfeld was the very first show ever to break the million dollar per principle player mark, but not until its 8th season in 1998. Which, btw, is 4 years after TNG went off the air.)

And it isn't at all uncommon for a even a garden variety guest star to be paid more than a show's lead players. It's not just a matter of an actor's representation having good negotiating skills, but a matter of standard trade policy. It's revealed as a common and expected practice in the MBA (Minimum Basic Agreement) of both SAG and AFTRA.

As far as the TNG cast is concerned, only Stewart and Spiner ever earned more than $1 million for a single production, and that was for the TNG movies.

 

[Jack Bauer]

HaplessCrewman said:

What about Siddig El Fadil? When did he become Alexander Siddig?

DS9's fourth season IIRC.

 

[Eddie Roth]

Therin of Andor said:

HaplessCrewman said:
I hope this is not off topic but what about Whoopi Goldberg requesting her name not be used to promote Generations?

Because she was an Academy Award-winner with a role in the film that was quite crucial to the movie's plot, she'd be entitled to claim top billing (by way of Academy etiquette). She told her agent she did not want to knock her friend, Patrick Stewart, of the top rung on his first starring role in a film. so she "waived billing".

I wonder if that was really the case. I mean there are dozens, if not hundreds of actors with an academy award that do not get top billing. How about Halle Berry? Did she receive top billing in the later X-Men films? Did she automatically knock Patrick Stewart off the top rung? I don't think so.

They could've put her at the end.... "And Whoopi Goldberg", although that would've possibly been a disservice to William Shatner.

But on another related topic. I just watched STII:TWOK yesterday, and I found it interesting with all the different credits they came up with in those days. It goes:

Starring
William Shatner
Leonard Nimoy
DeForest Kelley

Co-Starring
James Doohan
George Takei
Walter Koenig
Nichelle Nichols

Also Starring
Bibi Besch
Merritt Butrick as David
and Paul Winfield as Terrell

Introducing
Kirstie Alley as Saavik

and Starring
Ricardo Montalban as Khan

That's like 5 different "categories" of credits, including "and"s and credits with the character's name attached. They don't really do this much with movies these days. And I gotta say, as an actor, I'd be a little miffed these days if my credit didn't appear until the end credits while people started walking out of the theater.

 

[Sec31Mike]

chardman said:

Sec31Mike said:
Guest stars get paid based upon their agent's skill and star appeal. They didn't earn more than the regular cast. Main cast salary was the number one cost of making the episodes. The longer they stay on the show, the more their agent's got their salary bumped. It was reported that by S7 of TNG regular cast salary was $2Mil per episode.

Sorry, but there is so much false information in this paragraph that I hardly know where to start.

Typically, a lead cast member in a current-day television production earns anywhere between $12k to $20k per episode in the years of their initial contract (typically, 3 to 5 years). Once that contract has expired, and a new contract has been negotiated (and if a performer is really, really lucky), they might just break the $100k per episode mark.

Only a scant handful of shows have ever breached the $1 million per episode mark for lead players, and they've all been on the air for more than 7 years, and were consistently somewhere in the top 5 ratings-wise. (Seinfeld was the very first show ever to break the million dollar per principle player mark, but not until its 8th season in 1998. Which, btw, is 4 years after TNG went off the air.)

And it isn't at all uncommon for a even a garden variety guest star to be paid more than a show's lead players. It's not just a matter of an actor's representation having good negotiating skills, but a matter of standard trade policy. It's revealed as a common and expected practice in the MBA (Minimum Basic Agreement) of both SAG and AFTRA.

As far as the TNG cast is concerned, only Stewart and Spiner ever earned more than $1 million for a single production, and that was for the TNG movies.

I'd check my facts again there buddy. Patrick's salary alone was $100,000 an episode.

web page

I can just imagine what the rest added up to.

 

[chardman]

I'd check my facts again there buddy. Patrick's salary alone was $100,000 an episode.

And I'd check my glasses if I were you.

I said:

Once that contract has expired, and a new contract has been negotiated (and if a performer is really, really lucky), they might just break the $100k per episode mark.

And, of course, I need to check my own glasses as well.

To me, it seriously looked as though you were implying that the regular cast members were each paid $2 million per episode. Instead, you were talking gross payroll per ep spread among the entire cast.

Clearly, Stewart getting a salary of $100k per ep jives perfectly with what I posted. Pretty par for the course for a lead actor in a show that lasts so long.

 

[Crewman6]

chardman said:
There's also the fact that "guest stars" earn a slightly higher SAG rate than "regular" cast members.

Completely untrue.