XPost: rec.arts.tv, rec.arts.sf.tv, alt.tv.babylon-5   
   From: fn62@dial.pipex.com   
      
    wrote in message   
   news:1159911116.882988.226420@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...   
   >> Because the terms offered in the contract were of such a nature as to   
   >> make   
   >> them highly detrimental for her to accept, of course. It's called   
   >> constructive dismissal.   
   >>   
   >> Ali   
   >   
   > The rumours regarding this situation were that she had made an   
   > agreement to make a film.  Filming of the movie would interfere with   
   > the B5 shooting schedule.  The company making the film required that if   
   > she signed for season 5 of Babylon 5 that she needed to have it in   
   > writing that she would not be obligated to film B5 during those weeks.   
   >   
   > The rumour goes on to say that she was told that WB could pay her for   
   > the whole season and verbally promise her that they would simply not   
   > write her into the episodes she'd be unavailable for.  The filming   
   > company balked at that.  The alternative was to put into her contract   
   > that she would not be filming those weeks, but her total pay would be   
   > less as she would be pro-rated down to the number of episodes   
   > contracted for.  This was necessary in order to be fair to the other   
   > actors that had already signed their contracts.   
   >   
   > There is reason to believe that there is some truth to the rumour, but   
   > that it isn't totally accurate.  I don't remember reading any   
   > interviews with Claudia that go into detail on exactly why she wouldn't   
   > sign the new contract or why she felt she felt it was not beneficial to   
   > her.  It certainly sounds like she either felt she deserved more $$ or   
   > was unhappy because she wasn't going to be paid for a full season, even   
   > though she wasn't available to film the whole season.  It's clear that   
   > she was unhappy with how she was being underutilized in the show, which   
   > I agree with.  Combining the film offer with her being creatively   
   > stifled probably had a large impact on her decision.   
   >   
      
   A major  problem was that jms and John wouldn't commit to allow her to have   
   a contract clause that  permitted her to film in a certain and limited   
   number of weeks for the other film. And, quite rightly, neither she, her   
   agent,  nor the other film company would accept a verbal assurance to that   
   effect. (Hell, I wouldn't take a verbal assurance on anything like that.)   
      
   jms was unable to separate the personal from the contractual and thought she   
   was mistrusting him. Which is why he got so stupid and pissy about it. It   
   wasn't Warner. Now, I don't trust jms, but that has nothing to do with it;   
   in a business context you simply cannot rely on word of mouth and verbal   
   assurances from *anyone*. People crap on you all the time.   
      
   In the Industry it is actually very standard to have let out clauses to   
   allow you to film other things - Bruce certainly did this. It was not Warner   
   insisting, it was jms and John, and mostly jms. And she certainly wasn't   
   after being paid for episodes she wasn't in.   
      
   The other actors got crapped on financially for fifth season. Badly. And   
   again it wasn't Warner.   
      
   Ali   
      
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