"Gilmore Girls" star Sean Gunn say writers, actors "just want transparency" from streaming services

Actor Sean Gunn, known for playing Kirk Gleason in the popular series "Gilmore Girls," is among many writers and actors who are on strike, advocating for better protections and fair residual pay amid the rise of streaming platforms.  

Gunn told "CBS Mornings" on Tuesday they want transparency from streaming services, stressing the need for companies to disclose specifics about earnings to help ensure a fair distribution of profits.  

"Why won't Netflix tell us how much money they're making, you know, on their shows? Why won't they let us know how much each show streams in any given day? They won't tell you any of that stuff," he said. 

While actors on some syndicated TV shows, like "Friends," receive substantial residuals from reruns, those on streaming shows often receive meager compensation for additional views, The Washington Post reported.

Netflix is a publicly traded company, so information about its revenue and profit is publicly available. But what's not available is more transparency around how much content is consumed on their platform.

Gunn said actors and writers should benefit from a program's success if they have contributed to its achievements. However, streaming platforms have generally been reluctant to share specific financial details.

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) started striking last week, joining more than 11,000 TV and script writers represented by the Writers Guild of America who have been on strike since early May.

On the other side of the dispute, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers claims to have offered historic pay and residual increases, along with additional protections. However, the actors and writers argue that the measures fail to adequately address their concerns. 

"When a streamer like Netflix says, 'We aren't going to release our numbers,' it is because they are screwing someone over somewhere. That's why they do it," Gunn said. "We just want transparency. Tell us what you're making, and if you're making less, okay, we'll share in your pain, just like we should share in your profit. But they're not offering any of that." 

CBS News has reached out to Netflix for comment. 

Some CBS News staff are SAG-AFTRA members. But they work under a different contract than the actors and are not affected by the strike.