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The simple answer to this is that no actor working in Canada makes anywhere near a million dollars per episode.
That said, it's hard to find information because a lot of this info is private.
Here are some things I know about Quebec's entertainment industry:
The budget per episode for Quebec TV series that are filmed on location (as opposed to just in a studio) is about 1 to 1.5 million dollars. So they certainly aren't paying any single actor anything close to a million dollars.
I have also heard that a top-level actor in Quebec commands a salary of about 3000 dollars a day.
Overall though, the average salary for an actor in Quebec is 27000 dollars a year. For the sake of comparison, apparently in Hollywood the average is 50000 dollars. Stratospheric paydays are the exception rather than the rule down there too.
Also, one TV network in Quebec was angry that another network stole away one of their top stars, France Beaudoin, by offering her 250 000 dollars to host a summertime talk show, weeknights over 16 weeks.
One feature of the Quebec entertainment industry is that celebrities do double and triple dipping. So the actors you see in movies and TV also very often do live theatre, often touring the province. Many celebrities will host variety or talk shows, and have their own radio stations on the Montreal stations (often broadcast across Quebec on provincial radio networks.) I suppose this is a lucrative way to supplement their income.
When you drive into Montreal there are numerous billboards for radio stations advertising shows hosted by well-known Quebec TV, movie or comedy celebrities.
The actor apparently (he even admitted) has the intention of landing a job there, which he is not supposed to under the visa waiver agreement. Canadians can't enter the US for the purpose of finding employment, and whether they do or do not have such intention depends on the judgment of the border office, who has been given the rights.
It doesn't matter whether he wanted to stay there illegally. The fact that he expects to find job as an actor is sufficient for entry denial - many Canadians might not realize that. You can head south to shop, to entertain, to gamble, or study, but you absolutely can't go there to work, unless you have a valid work visa (H1-B or TN) already in hand.
Just to give more information, overseas students who apply visa to study in the US, often with full scholaships from top universities, can be denied visa because the visa officers believe they will stay in the US and work after they finish their degrees - many of them do, but the policy is that you can't have such intention while applying for a F-1 visa. You have to convince the VO that you intend to go back to your home country right after graduation. Otherwise, your visa will be refused based on immigration intention.
This applies to Canadians citizens as well. Just because you don't need a visa to visit to the US doesn't mean the border officer can't deny entry based on the same reason - you simply can't have the intention to work in the US (therefore competing for US jobs) on a non-work visa.
This particular actor was actually pretty stupid. He probably brought a lot of luggage with a one way ticket, which is hard evidence that he doesn't intends to come back to Canada any time soon. He eveb "then admitted he was also hoping to line up work, in order to apply for a visa."
The border office did absolutely nothing wrong. Actually he would be doing a bad job letting him in.
The actor apparently (he even admitted) has the intention of landing a job there, which he is not supposed to under the visa waiver agreement. Canadians can't enter the US for the purpose of finding employment, and whether they do or do not have such intention depends on the judgment of the border office, who has been given the rights.
It doesn't matter whether he wanted to stay there illegally. The fact that he expects to find job as an actor is sufficient for entry denial - many Canadians might not realize that. You can head south to shop, to entertain, to gamble, or study, but you absolutely can't go there to work, unless you have a valid work visa (H1-B or TN) already in hand.
Just to give more information, overseas students who apply visa to study in the US, often with full scholaships from top universities, can be denied visa because the visa officers believe they will stay in the US and work after they finish their degrees - many of them do, but the policy is that you can't have such intention while applying for a F-1 visa. You have to convince the VO that you intend to go back to your home country right after graduation. Otherwise, your visa will be refused based on immigration intention.
This applies to Canadians citizens as well. Just because you don't need a visa to visit to the US doesn't mean the border officer can't deny entry based on the same reason - you simply can't have the intention to work in the US (therefore competing for US jobs) on a non-work visa.
This particular actor was actually pretty stupid. He probably brought a lot of luggage with a one way ticket, which is hard evidence that he doesn't intends to come back to Canada any time soon. He eveb "then admitted he was also hoping to line up work, in order to apply for a visa."
The border office did absolutely nothing wrong. Actually he would be doing a bad job letting him in.
It's a bummer for him for sure but it sounds like Mr. Rook, like some of our compatriots, somehow forgot there is an international border between Canada and the U.S.
LOL I'm on the other side of the border and I forget all of the time. When people are like you are close to a foreign country I get confused. Another country, phew, that's just Canada. That's where we used to go to shop before Walmart and enhanced drivers licenses. I've spent more time in that foreign country than in other states.
The actor apparently (he even admitted) has the intention of landing a job there, which he is not supposed to under the visa waiver agreement. Canadians can't enter the US for the purpose of finding employment, and whether they do or do not have such intention depends on the judgment of the border office, who has been given the rights.
It doesn't matter whether he wanted to stay there illegally. The fact that he expects to find job as an actor is sufficient for entry denial - many Canadians might not realize that. You can head south to shop, to entertain, to gamble, or study, but you absolutely can't go there to work, unless you have a valid work visa (H1-B or TN) already in hand.
Just to give more information, overseas students who apply visa to study in the US, often with full scholaships from top universities, can be denied visa because the visa officers believe they will stay in the US and work after they finish their degrees - many of them do, but the policy is that you can't have such intention while applying for a F-1 visa. You have to convince the VO that you intend to go back to your home country right after graduation. Otherwise, your visa will be refused based on immigration intention.
This applies to Canadians citizens as well. Just because you don't need a visa to visit to the US doesn't mean the border officer can't deny entry based on the same reason - you simply can't have the intention to work in the US (therefore competing for US jobs) on a non-work visa.
This particular actor was actually pretty stupid. He probably brought a lot of luggage with a one way ticket, which is hard evidence that he doesn't intends to come back to Canada any time soon. He eveb "then admitted he was also hoping to line up work, in order to apply for a visa."
The border office did absolutely nothing wrong. Actually he would be doing a bad job letting him in.
I see your point...but it does make me think how does a Canadian actor (Ryan gosseling, Rachel Mcadams etc) get jobs in Hollywood, at some point wouldn't they have to cross the border with no job in the hopes of landing auditions in the US?
I see your point...but it does make me think how does a Canadian actor (Ryan gosseling, Rachel Mcadams etc) get jobs in Hollywood, at some point wouldn't they have to cross the border with no job in the hopes of landing auditions in the US?
There is no limit to the number of times you can go "visit", and not much of a limit if any on length of stay either.
I see your point...but it does make me think how does a Canadian actor (Ryan gosseling, Rachel Mcadams etc) get jobs in Hollywood, at some point wouldn't they have to cross the border with no job in the hopes of landing auditions in the US?
Canadian actors often are working here in Canada first and then get offered work in the U.S. The needed paperwork is then carried out, or are already working in the U.S. in jobs other than acting, while looking for acting jobs.
As for the guy in the story, he was obviously not thinking. The vast majority of Canadian understand you just can't go work in the U.S.
Canadian actors often are working here in Canada first and then get offered work in the U.S. The needed paperwork is then carried out, or are already working in the U.S. in jobs other than acting, while looking for acting jobs.
As for the guy in the story, he was obviously not thinking. The vast majority of Canadian understand you just can't go work in the U.S.
exactly right.
alternatively, as an unknown actor who has no job offer, you may just head to the US as a short term visitor, but end up finding a job and legally changing your status to a working visa.
There is nothing that prevents you from looking for jobs and conducting interviews once you are in the US (it is totally legal). However, you simply can't show such intention while entering the US at the border or applying for a visitor visa. Yes, it is tricky but this is how these things work.
LOL I'm on the other side of the border and I forget all of the time. When people are like you are close to a foreign country I get confused. Another country, phew, that's just Canada. That's where we used to go to shop before Walmart and enhanced drivers licenses. I've spent more time in that foreign country than in other states.
It matters when it comes to jobs and how long you can stay.
Basically you can't work in the other country without proper paper work, and you can't stay more than 180 days either.
I simply don't understand why US-Canada can't work like the EU.
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