The 98%

Things not to say to an actor over Christmas, courtesy of @the98percentpod.bsky.social
It doesn't cost anything to be kind and understanding 💫🎄💕

It’s that time of year again! And time for this annual reshare…

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Report to The Met Police and inform them you are part of a larger report, so they loop all reports together.

Every report helps. It you have an experience and need support - reach out and I can link you up with others who have been in your position. You are not alone.

I strongly encourage you to also seek emotional support. Check out Well-being in the Arts, Annemarie Lewis Thomas, or Industry Minds.

It’s common for victims to feel shame and embarrassment, but NONE of his actions are a reflection on you. These men know who to manipulate, and how. They are, unfortunately, good at what they do/manipulation. I predict Ryan’s behaviour has affected tens, if not hundreds, of women.

Ryan Kirwan is a prolific sexual predator who has been exhibiting his crimes for YEARS.

A couple months ago he made a return to the industry with a new persona, new venture, and new business (which I had to work to shut down on my own and was luckily successful)

Please report!

IF YOU HAD AN INAPPROPRIATE EXPERIENCE WITH SHOWREEL FILMMAKER RYAN KIRWAN - PLEASE REPORT TO THE MET POLICE.

They are currently investigating and EVERY report helps build the case. Ryan’s crimes are punishable by up to 2 years in prison.

If you have found this useful, please consider donating to our Kofi! (ko-fi.com/the98percent or in the link in our bio) All donations go straight back into the fees of podcasting and time spent making content like this to help actors, and investigating misconduct in the industry. It is so appreciated! For more relatable #actorslife content Listen to The 98% podcast Where you’ll also find more insight on dodgy agents, as well as chats with brilliant ones! Follow: @the98percentpod

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6/6

As well as reporting to industry orgs, if you (and/or others) have a story regarding agency misconduct that is more high-profile that you want to be heard, you can reach out to Jake Kanter at Deadline. Journalists have the resources, platforms, and investigative skills to bring attention to serious issues, ensuring your story reaches the right audience. They can help amplify your voice while maintaining your privacy, if needed, and often have connections to legal experts and industry advocates who can support you. Speaking to a journalist isn’t just about exposing wrongdoings; it’s about sparking change, holding people accountable, and protecting others from similar harm. You can hear about Jake’s approach to his work/industry exposé’s by listening to S5E35 of The 98%.

5/6

Can you be sure that Equity will act on your reports? Unfortunately, no. BUT Every report is helpful. You don’t know how many others have reported the same agency. If enough people have reported, we can hope for an investigation. But if that doesn’t happen and something like the Bodhi Scandal happens again, you also have a paper trail to show how your reports weren’t dealt with. This helps push towards more regulation and safeguarding in the industry by raising awareness around the lack of support. Also, talk to others about your experience. Those who perpetuate misconduct do so because they think they have more power because people won’t share their truth. Prove them wrong.

agents@equity.org.uk

4/6

There is a new rep in charge of agent reports at Equity after the previous representative left. If you have reported an experience to Equity regarding an agent in the past, it is likely it was ignored or not passed on. Please report again now with as much evidence and contextual information as possible. You do not need to be an Equity member to report to them. Equity will only support actors who are members for help with legal cases or help dealing with a case - but you do not need to be a member to make a report.

agents@equity.org.uk

3/6

Your agent should not be: -Signing contracts on your behalf /without you knowing -Pressuring or harassing you into doing auditions/jobs you do not want to do -Lying to/deceiving/manipulating you -Hiding fees/buyouts/further pay from you -Playing favourites with clients (only supporting certain clients in jobs, using social media/website posts as a way to manipulate, bullying some clients while treating others like friends)

An agent/actor relationship is a partnership.
The toxic pressure of “having” to have an agent keeps some actors in abusive relationships that are detrimental to their wellbeing, and therefore career 💔

2/6

Under UK regulations, it is UNLAWFUL for an agency to withhold payment from clients for more than 10 days after recieving funds from a producer, broadcaster, or streamer. The time is takes for agents to recieve pay can vary, but is usually a couple weeks. You should not be chasing your agent for months for pay. If you have concerns, contact production and ask when your agent was paid, and how much. If you recieved your pay later than 10 days this should be reported to Equity, as well as EASI (Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate)

As many know, this year, agents have been under the spotlight due to some exhibiting extreme misconduct and even criminal activity. Sadly, things like fake tapes and withheld pay are not singular isolated incidents. Here are some important reminders for #actors..

Hi Bluesky!
Over the past 6.5 years we built a community of 8,000+ over on twitter, a shame to lose that - so please do tell your friends where to find us! As usual, this account is run by me, Alexa! Who you can follow at @alexamorden.bsky.social. Thanks for being here for the REAL #actorslife! 🎭🎬