The Non-Union Option for Actors

To work regularly on big-budget studio films, Broadway shows and network TV, an actor must join at least one of the major unions: SAG, Equity, or AFTRA. However, every year thousands of actors work outside this system. Some by choice, some by necessity. Are they limiting themselves? Yes and no. The idea that you must join a union to succeed as an actor depends on how you measure success.

Community theatre actors are the most obvious example of nonunion actors who work regularly. Over 7,000 non-profit theatre troupes are a great actors' resource -- they create more than 45,000 productions each year, according to the American Association of Community Theatre. These companies produce everything from plays and musicals to children's theatre, including the premieres of new work. However, performers in these entertainment careers receive little to no pay; often they are members of the local community who join simply because they love to perform. By that measure, they are successful.

Young newcomers may be the largest group of nonunion actors. Fresh out of school, most do nonunion theatre and film to get practical experience and credits in order to move on to larger, often union projects. Though a necessary stepping stone in an entertainment career, nonunion work also allows these actors to work with equally young writers and directors before they join the actors' unions.

Finally, some performers simply choose to work nonunion. They consider union rules, including those on pay minimums and working-hour maximums, unnecessarily restrictive. However, while it frees them up in some senses, it also limits for which directors and performers they can work with. A writer or director, in theory, can work on nonunion projects under a pseudonym. A performer will always be seen in the final product; they cannot ignore the rules.