Terrence and Taraji sound like broke artists
- Thread starter Forsaken
- Start date
The irony that both were in a show about how dirty the music industry is, and end up getting jerked in the movie industry.Its a dirty game
Hollywood has started getting even dirtier with the production company and actors both represented by the same agents. Basically instead of negotiating for the best interest of Terrence they could be trying to sell a package of producers, actors, directors to a project. It's like if in boxing the Mohammad Ali act didn't exist and you could be the promoter and manager of a boxer.
WaveCapsByOscorp™
2021 Grammy Award Winner
I feel him if he was actually trying to get a better deal and they were basically undercutting him, showing him inaccurate figures, basically NOT listening to him even though him working is what gets them paid.
That’s when you realize, as an artist, that not everyone is trying to help you, more like using you for their own business.
They don’t share your vision for what you want for yourself but still want to make money off of you.
It’s cowardly because it’s dishonest in a business sense and sabotaging as well. For everything to work, everyone has to be on the same page. You can’t have the team looking for money NOT listening to you when you’re the force that’s gonna make it.
Brokering the deal is overrated as fukk.
That’s when you realize, as an artist, that not everyone is trying to help you, more like using you for their own business.
They don’t share your vision for what you want for yourself but still want to make money off of you.
It’s cowardly because it’s dishonest in a business sense and sabotaging as well. For everything to work, everyone has to be on the same page. You can’t have the team looking for money NOT listening to you when you’re the force that’s gonna make it.
Brokering the deal is overrated as fukk.
WaveCapsByOscorp™
2021 Grammy Award Winner
I’m sure it was a lot more hidden than just have a lawyer do due diligence. If anything, that’s what he’s got lawyers doing NOW after realizing he not only didn’t get what he asked for, but people in the agency were intentionally misleading him.
It’s hard to see it when you’re in it. Especially I imagine he was probably working a lot in general.
get these nets
Veteran
I don't get it. Empire was a surprise breakout hit show. Lasted enough seasons to be syndicated, if I recall. Broke all types of ratings records in the early seasons
I doubt that any of the cast members signed long term deals ahead of the show making its debut, so I'm guessing he signed on to renew at some point. That should have been a lucrative deal for him. And I think the network would have blinked first if he threatened to leave/not sign the deal.
I doubt that any of the cast members signed long term deals ahead of the show making its debut, so I'm guessing he signed on to renew at some point. That should have been a lucrative deal for him. And I think the network would have blinked first if he threatened to leave/not sign the deal.
I'm confused at them being upset about contracts they signed. Reminds me of music artists crying about their deals.
Wasn't this guy hustling hydrogen energy a few years ago.
If they prove CAA colluded with Fox or malpractice then he does have a case.
Toe Jay Simpson
Searchin’
Pay people their money brehs
BUT at the same time…he been in the game too long not to know what was fair for a Primetime show on Fox
BUT at the same time…he been in the game too long not to know what was fair for a Primetime show on Fox
I believe both of them aren’t pulling in money like that and it’s not like they’ve routinely showcased the kind of range that has gotten them increasing better roles.
Empire in hindsight is like the pinnacle of what a Tubi movie/show could be but it won’t be looked at as a top black show of even the last 20 years.
At this point in their careers they should’ve taken initiative and sourced out their own material and started developing it instead of waiting for their agents to call about a job. There’s tons of writers out there — why aren’t they either hosting or sitting in at showcases to see what original scripts they could lock in for a decent price so their next 5-7 years worth of projects are lined up.
Empire in hindsight is like the pinnacle of what a Tubi movie/show could be but it won’t be looked at as a top black show of even the last 20 years.
At this point in their careers they should’ve taken initiative and sourced out their own material and started developing it instead of waiting for their agents to call about a job. There’s tons of writers out there — why aren’t they either hosting or sitting in at showcases to see what original scripts they could lock in for a decent price so their next 5-7 years worth of projects are lined up.
The show tapered off considerably ratings wise during the end of their run.
get these nets
Veteran
Terrence Howard Sues CAA Over ‘Empire’ Salary
The actor takes issue with the agency urging him to accept talent fees less than what he claims he should have gotten, which allegedly benefited other clients CAA represented. "Discovery will show that this was racism," said Carlos Moore, a lawyer representing the actor.December 8, 2023
Terrence Howard is suing CAA for an alleged conflict of interest in the agency’s dealings over his compensation on Empire.
In the lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday, Howard alleges his agents who packaged the deal with Fox prioritized the interests of themselves and the show’s producers, which it also represented, by inducing him to take below-market salaries over his six-season run starring in the series. CAA declined to comment.
“I trusted CAA to look after me, and they looked after themselves,” Howard said
James Bryant, a lawyer representing Howard, takes issue with packaging fees, in which agents are paid directly by a studio for attaching actors or a director to a writer’s pitch. “Over the last several years, agencies have become much more powerful and found a much more lucrative way of making money,” he said. “It’s by being the packaging agent, where you represent actors, producers, production companies and your own financial interest. That’s where that fiduciary duty begins to break down. That’s why we’re here today.”
In addition to Howard, CAA represented series co-creators Lee Daniels and Danny Strong, as well as production company Imagine Entertainment.
According to Bryant, the suit alleges that Howard was provided misleading information over salaries of similarly situated actors. When he asked what others at his level of fame were being compensated, his agents allegedly gave him faulty comparisons when he should’ve been getting paid on the level of Kevin Spacey in House of Cards or Jon Hamm in Mad Men.
The complaint states, “Not only did it become abundantly clear that his agents led him on a path to rely on information that was misleading, he discovered that this was the result of the fact that CAA was not acting in his best interest, but in the in interest of their own financial benefit as well as the interest of the Production Companies and the producers, Daniels and Strong. Under normal circumstances, had CAA not been the packaging agent, and had CAA not been concurrently representing the Production Companies, where their sole financial interest would have been the 10% fee from the compensation received by Howard, they would have most certainly fought for Howard in a manner that most producers are accustomed to seeing CAA agents engage in.”
Asked about his pay, Howard said his deal afforded him $325,000 per episode “at the height of what I was being paid” in season six. He added, “I was never given a producer credit even though I rewrote most of the scenes and acted in the capacity of producer.”
The suit also claims that there was a racial component to the agency’s alleged refusal to negotiate in the best interest of Howard, who says he was underpaid by as much as 50 percent compared to top actors in hit series.
“Discovery will show that this was racism,” said Carlos Moore, a lawyer representing the actor. “You won’t find in discovery that a white actor — Oscar-nominated, Golden Globe-nominated — was treated like that.”
Bryant stressed, “CAA simply told Howard, ‘We’re not going to take the 10 percent agency fee this time because we packaged things together.’ In reality, it was a terrible thing because they had no incentive to fight for this man when he demanded to have his salary negotiated comparable to every other lead white actor out there.”
Howard brings claims for breach of fiduciary duty, among others for fraud. He’s represented by James Bryant and Brian Dunn of The Cochran Firm, as well as solo attorney Carlos Moore. They urged other actors who believe they were similarly misrepresented by CAA to come forward to them.
This isn’t the first suit that Howard has filed over his compensation on Empire, one of the most watched shows on the network during its run. In 2020, he sued 20th Century Studios over allegedly unpaid royalty fees for use of his name and likeness on merchandise. The complaint claimed breach of contract and demanded an accounting.
He also played the role of defendant in another suit from his former talent management firm accusing him of breaching an oral contract by failing to pay post-termination commissions. Authentic Talent and Literary Management claimed that they were entitled to 10 percent of all gross revenue he received from employment in Hollywood during the time they represented him. Notably, this included Empire
