Nickelodeon child star Jennifer Hyatt Tedmori voiced her frustrations on social media after receiving several residual checks worth pennies.
Tedmori, who played Doris Trembly in “Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide" between 2004 and 2006, unsealed envelopes from her car in a video on Thursday, July 23, unveiling checks worth less than $1 for select episodes.
“It’s that time of the year for me,” Tedmori said. “I got my 'Ned's' residual checks, and I have been procrastinating for months in opening these."
Tedmori starred in 11 episodes of the middle school sitcom. She earned $0.02 for starring in a 2006 Valentine’s Day-themed episode, she said, and earned $0.68 for a “Crushes and Dances” episode, which involved a mosh pit and crushing a Coke
can with her forehead.
"Don't come for me about throwing away a nickel," she said, noting that viewers have likely "let a nickel get lost in your couch."
Other checks for “Ned’s Declassified” were valued at $0.03, $0.81, $1.01, $0.45 and $0.87. "Crashout incoming," she wrote over her Instagram video.
“It's been a long time,” Tedmori quipped. “I'm surprised that I'm getting anything, but three cents? It cost you 75 cents to send this envelope!”
To her surprise, her two-episode run as a goth girl on Nickelodeon’s “90210” earned her a check worth $21.43. By the end, she earned $8.63 for starring in “Ned’s Declassified,” and $30.06 for starring in both Nickelodeon projects.
At the end of the video, Tedmori jokingly said she would either use the money to buy a Starbucks coffee or report her low earnings to the IRS.
“I hope you all have a great day,” she said. “I hope you get out there and make more than $8.63."
How do residual checks work?
Actors receive residual payments for TV and film reruns, after initial compensation. When a show or movie re-airs on cable or a streamer, or sells via DVD or VOD, they can expect a check.
Residuals rely on a formula that takes into account the year, time spent on set, production type, and where it will air. Other performers who collect residual checks include professional singers, stunt performers and stunt coordinators.
Other stars who received penny residual checks
Actors have long complained about receiving penny residual checks. Giovonnie Samuels starred in 24 episodes of Nickelodeon’s “All That.” Despite her recurring appearances across the Amanda Bynes-helmed show, she posted on social media in 2023 that she “never got paid for any residuals for doing “All That.”
“This is Us” star Mandy Moore said she received residual checks ranging from a penny to 81 cents, according toThe Hollywood Reporter. "The residual issue is a huge issue," Moore said.
“Full House’” actress Jodie Sweetin said she used to receive larger checks in her 20s, but those payouts have since diminished.
"I got a one-cent check the other day," Sweetin said in an April episode of The McBride Rewind podcast. “No, there's no syndication anymore because it's all in streaming. Who gets paid for that? Nobody gets paid for that."
Sweetin, who went on to star in the Netflix revival “Fuller House,” dispelled any myths that she leads a glamorous life. "Honey, I drive my 2023 used Hyundai Sonata that I love,” she said. “I rent my house. I have credit cards that are maxed out. I live a normal life."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nickelodeon child star has 'crashout' over shockingly low residual checks
