We prefer to call this the “unpaid wages” fund, because they aren’t really “unclaimed”. Rather, they are wages that were not paid the child for a variety of reasons.
In California, 15% of gross earnings are withheld from children by producers. The earnings are to be deposited directly into the child’s trust account by the producer. In many instances, producers are unable to do this for a variety of reasons. The funds that were NOT deposited are sent to The Actor’s Fund after being held by a producer for 180 days. The Actor’s Fund then becomes trustee of the earnings.
This is a list of the names of child actors who have had earnings withheld from them, but the earnings were not deposited. The funds that end up in this account are not always from California residents; they could be from a production where the studio was based in California, or for any number of reasons. If a child is still a minor when they are claimed, The Actors Fund will transfer the money to the child’s personal Coogan account. If the child is an adult and can provide documentation (certified birth certificate) The Actors Fund will issue the actor a check.
Want to do a good deed today? Search the list by last names for people you know and make them aware that there is unclaimed money waiting for them!
Please contact The Actors Fund at www.unclaimedcoogan.org for instructions about how to claim undeposited earnings.
We are also happy to assist you if you have any questions.