A day player is an actor hired and paid by the day, usually for a small role with a few lines, like the nurse, the cop or the barista. SAG-AFTRA calls it a day performer, and as of November 2026 the union minimum on film and TV is $1,283 a day. Here is how it compares with co-star, weekly and series regular deals, and what casting directors and directors told us about doing the job well.
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"Day player" is industry shorthand for an actor booked by the day rather than by the week or the season. Under SAG-AFTRA's film and TV contracts the official term is day performer. You're paid a day rate for each day you work, which may be one day or several spread across a shoot.
The roles are usually small: a line or two, one or two scenes, a character who serves the story for a moment. That doesn't make them easy to get, or unimportant.
Not quite. Co-star is a TV credit, the billing you get on screen and on your resume. Day player describes how you're contracted and paid. Most co-stars are hired as day performers, which is why the words get used interchangeably.
Kym explains that a co-star is paid a daily rate for however many days they work, while a guest star gets one fee for the whole episode. Because of that, a decent role that only shoots two or three days is often booked as a co-star to save money. Our co-star vs guest star page covers credits and billing in depth.
On SAG-AFTRA film and TV work, the minimums from 1 July 2026 are:
| Contract | Minimum from 1 July 2026 |
|---|---|
| Day performer (film and TV) | $1,283 a day |
| Weekly performer (film and TV) | $4,456 a week |
| Three-day performer (TV, half-hour or one-hour show) | $3,252 |
Sources: SAG-AFTRA 2026 Theatrical Wage Table and 2026 Television Agreement Wage Tables, as of November 2026.
That minimum is called scale. Ben Whitehair, a former SAG-AFTRA vice president, described it simply as the least you can be paid for that union job; your agent can negotiate above it. Low-budget union films have lower day rates, listed on our SAG-AFTRA rates page. Non-union day rates are whatever the production offers, so get the figure in writing.
Don't overload it. In a members' Q&A, casting director John Frank Levey told an actor with a two-line audition not to decide on a result. Be in the character's situation and say the words as yourself in those circumstances. If the two lines are a barista at a coffee shop, he said, just brew the coffee and set it on the table.
Kym adds the other half: a functional role still needs a person behind it. The writer may have written your waiter to interrupt the leads, but you can decide what kind of day that waiter is having. The two traps are doing too little, so there's no real person, or doing too much and pulling focus from the scene you're there to support.
Busy, and not built around you. Casting director Risa Bramon Garcia described the shock many new actors get: the star has gone to lunch, you do your close-up opposite their stand-in, the production is in overtime, and you get one take. She suggested doing some background work or student films first, just to know what a set feels like.
Director Kate Dennis said new actors often want so badly to please that their instincts shut down, while experienced actors are confident enough to take the material somewhere surprising. A few habits help:
More in our first day on set guide and set terminology.
Your agent negotiates the terms before the day, and your contract is usually waiting for you on set. Ben Whitehair said that if something looks wrong when you get there, such as extra money your agent negotiated not showing up, call your agent or manager before you sign so they can sort it out with production.
SAG-AFTRA also publishes rules on when a booking becomes binding and how it can be cancelled; see its engagement and cancellation page. This is general information, so check with your agent or the union for your own job.
It can, mostly through the people you meet. Producer Shaked Berenson said the actors he invites back are the ones who learn the crew's names, pitch in and feel like part of the team. Kate Dennis said there's no trick to being rehired, but she does suggest letting the director see who you really are, because they may think of you for something else.
Sometimes the next job comes from the crew. Child acting expert Karen Workman told us her daughter was offered a few lines on a feature with no audition, because someone on the crew of a commercial she'd shot recommended her. And manager Chris Roe pointed out that many good co-star roles are guest star parts that were downgraded to save budget, so there's nothing wrong with a strong day.
An actor hired and paid by the day, usually for a small role. SAG-AFTRA calls it a day performer.
On SAG-AFTRA film and TV work the minimum is $1,283 a day from 1 July 2026, as of November 2026. Agents can negotiate more, and low-budget and non-union rates differ.
Not exactly. Co-star is a TV credit, while day player describes being paid by the day. Most co-stars are hired as day performers.
A day player is booked by the day; a weekly player is booked by the week at a weekly rate, usually for a bigger role.
No. Casting director John Frank Levey told us to be in the character's situation and play it simply rather than deciding on a result.
A day player often has one day to make a good impression on a set full of strangers. Your Free On Set Guide helps you walk on ready.
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All rates current from sagaftra.org as of 10 November 2026.