Actors say casting agency owes them thousands of pounds

BBC News

a day ago

Actors across England say a casting agency has not paid them for completed jobs, with some being left thousands of pounds out of pocket. Their experiences have highlighted wider concerns about a "hierarchy of power" within the industry.
Wedding singer Sharon Stanton was delighted when her two children decided to follow her into the entertainment industry, with her youngest getting his first paid job earlier this year."He did a self-tape back in March, sent it back to the agent who said casting really liked him and offered him the job," she said."It was amazing news, and we were really happy as it was his first commercial. He did the job, had a really good experience and we left."But when I came to get payment, I think that was about two weeks later, that's when I started finding things out."Despite chasing it up with the agency - Lucy Harrison Casting - multiple times, they still have not been paid for the job after five months.Ms Stanton, from Bristol, who has been in the industry herself for more than 15 years, learned through social media that they were not the only ones."The more I read and the more I researched, it just came apparent that this has happened to many people nationwide with this casting agency, some owed thousands of pounds," she said."It is just really frustrating and it's made me think, who is there to help the children?"Lucy Harrison Casting describes itself as "representing unique and diverse talent" and is understood to have had hundreds of models and actors on its books.On its website, the agency claims to have worked with brands such as Boots, Coca-Cola and Cancer Research UK.
Natalie Neri, from London, has been chasing Lucy Harrison Casting for payment for a job she did in May.She worked with three others on that job and said none of them had received their money."I'm out of pocket by more than £1,000 – £128 of that I have personally paid towards my travel and hotel, which was promised to be reimbursed to me," said Ms Neri."I know the casting agency did collect the money already, as I've been in touch with the production since. "The [production company] have paid for myself and the other models, so we're all owed £1,000 each, and I'm very angry because Lucy Harrison Casting have stolen my hard-earned money."The BBC has spoken to actors in different parts of England who are owed money, with some payments dating back to 2024.Lucy Harrison Casting is the trading name used by two companies. Happy House Productions, based in East Sussex, went into voluntary liquidation at the end of June, while Happy House Media Limited continues to trade.The director for both companies is the same person.
'Thoroughly investigated'
Emails sent to clients of Lucy Harrison Casting, seen by the BBC, state that despite the liquidation of Happy House Productions, the agency would "continue to operate".The website is still live and appears to now be run by Happy House Media Limited. Some actors have reported the agency to the government's Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate.A spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade said: "We take all relevant complaints about agencies seriously and ensure they are thoroughly investigated to protect consumers and businesses across the country."Lucy Harrison Casting said "both Happy House Media Ltd and Happy House Productions Ltd have always traded as Lucy Harrison Casting, working with the same talent across both sectors of the business" and their activities were "fully compliant with UK law".
Actress Alexa Morden – who has appeared in Skins, Fresh Meat and The Great Train Robbery – hosts a podcast called The 98%, which explores what the profession is really like. She has been looking into concerns with Lucy Harrison Casting for months."I just started gathering people's information of their experiences," she said. "I took it upon myself to make an Instagram post because I'd seen enough evidence at this point of withheld pay. The production companies confirming the agent received money months ago. And then, again, it snowballed."Ms Morden believes the problems are part of a wider issue in the industry.She said: "The hierarchy of power or perceived power leaves actors feeling like they can't rock the boat. "They can't push back on anything, they can't advocate for themselves because of this age-old idea of 'if you don't put up with it, there's a hundred other people in a line who will'."
Lack of regulation
Equity - the entertainment industry's main trade union - has now warned its members against working with the agency. Some of those left unpaid say they reported concerns to the union and Spotlight, which helps connect performers and agents, as far back as last year. In response, both Equity and Spotlight said they had been made aware of issues with payments earlier this year and had contacted the Employment Agencies Inspectorate.Lucy Harrison Casting did not say whether the actors owed money would be paid for the jobs they had done, but it did say those contracts had been "undertaken through Happy House Productions Ltd" and "fall within the liquidation process".For Ms Stanton, this is not just about the money."These people are taking advantage of children and parents," she said. "And there's no one regulating this, there is no one regulating this industry and I think that's the bigger picture here."
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