‘Modern Family’ cast members sue to void contracts
Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES
The cast of “Modern Family” has an ancient problem.
In the television industry, actors typically sign contracts that range from five to seven years with annual pay increases of 4 percent to 6 percent. The compensation can range from $40,000 to $70,000 per episode to more than six figures for established stars.
On its face, that doesn’t sound so bad. But in the rare cases of a huge commercial hit, the companies that produce and air the show get a big and quick return on their investment. Then their headaches begin — with the actors.
That is what is happening behind the scenes of ABC’s Emmy-award winning hit comedy “Modern Family.”
On Tuesday, several key cast members filed suit against the show’s producer, 20th Century Fox Television, in an effort to void their contracts. The actors who initially filed the suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court are Sofia Vergara, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell. Ed O’Neill, another star on the show, subsequently joined their effort.
Motivating the stars is that ABC is raking in hundreds of millions in advertising revenue and 20th Century Fox Television already has sold reruns of “Modern Family” to the cable channel USA for $1.5 million per episode.
“It’s a pretty natural instinct among actors who see the money flowing in to the network and the studio to want their share,” said Sandy Grushow, chief content officer of consulting firm MediaLink and a former head of both 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Broadcasting.
Although contracts often are renegotiated before their expiration date, the cast of “Modern Family” took their beef to a new level by going to court to try to break their current contracts, which still have four seasons to go.
“I do not remember lawsuits springing from these situations,” said Tony Jonas, a producer and former head of Warner Bros. Television who was involved in high-stakes negotiations with the casts of “Friends” and “ER.” “Obviously there is a lot of saber rattling going on.”