Most actors earn their living through a mixture of wages when they are actively working, along with "residuals" -- payments for shows and films they previously appeared in, which are still being rewatched by audiences.
Both of these have dwindled over the years, said Burgess, as studios and networks keep "squeezing, forcing everyone down."
"A real trend of late, especially with streamers, is that they won't pay above 'scale' -- you're working for the bare minimum that you're legally allowed to work for under SAG rules," he said.
"I worked for a company this year that I worked for in 2012, and I'm being paid less for my services this year than I was 10 years ago," he said.
The union minimum salaries that most actors earn can appear misleadingly high, explained Burgess.
While the day rate for a television performer is $1,082, around half of that disappears to agents, legal fees and taxes.
Even then, an actor being paid for just one or two days' work may be required to hold several weeks free for a shoot, as the producers work out their schedule.
"It's pretty common," said Burgess.
"So then that $500 has to stretch you for eight days, or 16 days, or 21 days if it's a prestige drama -- it becomes very unsustainable."
Other cost-cutting measures are becoming ever more common, such as downgrading "series regulars" to "recurring guest stars" or even one-day guest stars.
