"Back in the late '90s, it used to be kind of a rarity to get a tiny residual check," actor John O'Brien said. In today's streaming-TV era, small residual checks have become so customary that they helped push the SAG-AFTRA actors union to go on strike in mid-July, joining film and television writers, who walked off the job in May, in part over residual payments. O'Brien, who has appeared on dozens of shows, from "Grey's Anatomy" to "Pretty Little Liars," shared images of residual checks from more than two decades ago worth $47.49, $87.77 and $216.25. For working class actors who were not the famous, highly paid stars, the residual checks were vital to helping them pay their bills. Lower residual payments mean fewer actors earn the $26,470 per year needed to qualify for SAG-AFTRA's health insurance coverage, said actor Michael Spellman.

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Persons: John O'Brien, you'd, It's, O'Brien, Michael Spellman, Walt Disney, Arabella Field, Mike Blake, bartenders, Walt, Justin Bieber, Kirk Dinsmore, you've, Dinsmore, Spellman, We're, Lisa Richwine, Mary Milliken, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: CITY, SAG, Alliance, Television Producers, Netflix, Studio City, REUTERS, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros, Walt Disney, Writers Guild of America, WGA, Thomson Locations: CITY , California, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Los Angeles , California, U.S