Jeff Goldblum Helps Actors Qualify for Health Insurance on ‘Kimmel Live!’

Jeff Goldblum took a unique approach to hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday by helping fellow actors qualify for SAG-AFTRA health insurance. Recognizing the struggles many actors face to meet the earnings threshold necessary for healthcare, Goldblum cast actors who were close to qualifying for insurance in roles on the show.

“The vast majority of actors are working class people just trying to make ends meet,” Goldblum told his audience. “They actually have to make a certain amount of money each year just to qualify for health coverage through the Screen Actors Guild, and that’s not an easy thing to do. Sometimes an actor can be so close to that threshold of earnings that they only need to land one more role to qualify. So tonight, I’m going to help a few actors who are in that very situation for real by casting them in a role on the show.”

Goldblum enlisted a group of actors, each approximately $500 away from qualifying for their health insurance, to impersonate him. Dressed in suits reminiscent of Goldblum’s style, they presented their best impressions of the comedian.

In 2024, SAG-AFTRA performers must typically earn at least $27,000 in covered earnings or work at least 104 days within a 12-month period to qualify for health insurance coverage. In 2023, before the union’s strike, only around 25,000 out of 160,000 union members met these requirements. Actors who appeared on the show revealed that they would use the insurance for important medical needs like dermatology checks and dental procedures such as root canals.

This was not the first time Jimmy Kimmel Live! has taken this approach; the show similarly cast actors based on insurance needs two years ago, when Kerry Washington was the guest host.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter