After coming close to losing his SAG-AFTRA health coverage, actor Cheyenne Jackson decided to launch One Job Away, a social media campaign aimed at helping members who are on the verge of losing their union benefits amid a shortage of acting roles in Hollywood.
The mission is focused on spotlighting working actors who are just shy of qualifying for health coverage. Jackson is working to connect actors with people who can potentially hire them. Jackson originally launched the campaign through his Instagram, but after a positive response, he decided to dedicate a separate account to the initiative.
Once actors submit their information, Jackson reviews it and creates a post with an image of the actor followed by a caption including a short bio, how close they are to qualifying for health insurance, and their Instagram account, alongside any agencies representing them.
The campaign quickly gained traction, with Jackson telling the L.A. Times that he received hundreds of responses from actors looking to be featured. Following the influx of submissions, Jackson dedicated an inbox to submissions and a separate page to spotlighting actors.
Just last year, Jackson was thousands of dollars short of qualifying, even after working in the industry for decades, according to the Times. He reached out to actor Kathy Bates, his former co-star on American Horror Story, who helped him secure a small role on Matlock. That job helped Jackson maintain coverage for himself and his family, and his experience helped spark One Job Away.
SAG-AFTRA members are required to meet an annual covered-earnings threshold in order to qualify for the union health plan. The 2026 minimum is currently $28,090 and will increase in 2027, according to the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan. To qualify, actors must meet the minimum covered earnings through qualifying SAG-AFTRA work during their designated earnings period.
Actors are currently experiencing fewer job opportunities amid industry consolidation, declining production and other factors that have contributed to a reduction in available work. The L.A. Times has reported on performers publicly speaking out about struggling to maintain health coverage as work has become harder to come by.
Jackson’s overall goal isn’t just focused on finding individual actors’ jobs in the industry. He has also spoken about reducing the stigma around working actors admitting that they’re struggling. Jackson told the Times that he hopes talking more openly about those struggles can reduce the stigma and shame surrounding them.
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