Why 'Band of Brothers' Star Says He Was Forced to Sell His Home
Kirk Acevedo is adamant that "the middle class actor is disappearing."
If the name doesn't ring a bell, then the face definitely will. Acevedo has appeared in numerous TV shows, including the acclaimed HBO miniseries Band of Brothers, in which he -- alongside the rest of the cast -- brilliantly portrays Staff Sergeant Joseph Toye. The hit series recounts "Easy" Company's experience from start to finish of World War II. "Easy" Company, part of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, earned praise for its bravery as being the go-to Company sent to the frontlines and coming out victorious.
Acevedo starred alongside Damien Lewis, Scott Grimes, Ron Livingston, Donnie Wahlberg, and Michael Cudlitz, among others, in the miniseries executive produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.
Since then, Acevedo has appeared in numerous TV shows, including Arrow, Agents of SHIELD, Law & Order, Blue Bloods, and many others. But the roles have since dried up, and he thinks he knows why.
'The Middle Class Actor Is Disappearing'
During an appearance on the An Actor Despairs podcast, said he went from working non-stop to suddenly being forced to sell his house to stay afloat.
“2021 comes and I'm up for some TV shows; it just goes one way, this way, and that would have saved me. That would've saved me. That doesn't work, and I keep coming in second place, and the reality is second place, you're the first one to lose," he tells host Ryan Perez, via The Hollywood Reporter. "So, I went from working non-stop to now I got to sell my house. I got to sell my house, and everyone's going through this. I have so many friends, people you know, actors you know, that had to sell their houses."
Acevedo says actors like him are now getting "squeezed out" by Hollywood stars who were primarily film actors, now taking spots in TV shows.
"In TV now, all the movie stars — since there’s no more films, not the way it used to be — they’re all in TV. Every Oscar winner is doing some eight to 10- to 13-episode show multiple times," he says. "I'm competing with Oscar winners. Yeah. It’s like, ‘OK, should we pay Kirk his quote or this guy that was nominated for an Oscar seven, eight, 10 years ago?' See the problem?"
The Math Isn't Adding Up
Acevedo says actors like himself are reduced to recurring roles, which leads to getting low-balled. And even when he lands those roles, the paychecks don't go a long way.
"Let’s say you do 10 guest spots. That’s $100,000 grand, right? You have an agent and manager. So, we take 20 percent out. That’s $80,000 [left]. We got taxes, too. [Let’s say 38 percent, leaving you with] $45,000. Let’s say your rent is ... let’s go on the low side, we won’t even go on the high side, say $3,000. That’s pretty low," he explains. "That’s $36,000. Can you survive off of 10 episodes? You could if you’re just starting out."