Cheyenne Jackson says Kathy Bates got him tiny TV role to keep his health insurance
US actor Cheyenne Jackson (Getty Images)
Cheyenne Jackson has launched an Instagram series called “One Job Away” to help actors reach the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan earnings minimum of $28,933, after saying Kathy Bates helped him qualify with a five-line role on Matlock.
In his Instagram announcement, Jackson said he struggled to qualify for health insurance in 2025, with the added pressure that his husband Jason and their two children relied on his coverage.
“Last year, Kathy Bates helped me qualify for my SAG-AFTRA health insurance by helping me get five lines on an episode of [Matlock],” Jackson wrote. “I know what it feels like to be one job away… and what it means when someone actually comes through.”
What is One Job Away and how does it work?
One Job Away spotlights performers who are close to the minimum by sharing their faces, work and contact information on Jackson’s public Instagram profile, which has a reach of 743,000 followers.
As of 27 October, the campaign had featured 22 headshots, including Trace Lysette, Daniel Franzese and Jai Rodriguez.
Jackson has also spoken about the pressure created by the earnings threshold, telling Variety: “An actor can make $500,000 one year, but when they don’t make much the next year, the $500,000 doesn’t help with the following year’s health insurance minimum,” a situation that leaves many “scrambling for one little guest spot to try to keep up with their insurance.”
The Kathy Bates call
Jackson said Bates secured him a very minor role on the CBS show in fewer than five minutes. “She’s like, ‘I have good news and bad news for you. The good news is, I got you a role on Matlock. The bad news is, you have five lines, and you don’t have a name.”
“I was like, ‘Sign me up! No ego amigo here,’” Jackson recounted. “I played no-name detective. I searched a crime scene, and I said, ‘Hey, Sergeant, we got some blood over here.’”
The campaign arrives as transgender and nonbinary performers have spoken publicly about work drying up. In September, Jack Haven posted a YouTube video asking to be hired and paid $4,000 to qualify for SAG health insurance.
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