Actor Contract Template (US)

Updated on August 5, 2026

An actor contract sets out the terms on which a producer engages a performer for a role — the project, the compensation, and, increasingly, exactly how the producer may use the actor's name, image, likeness and voice, including whether an AI-generated digital replica is on the table at all. That last part is genuinely new: as of January 1, 2025, California law makes a digital-replica clause unenforceable unless it lists the proposed uses specifically and the performer was represented in negotiating it.

The contract below is the editor: choose whether the Actor is engaged as an independent contractor or as a production employee, type into the highlighted blanks, and the compensation and tax-treatment language updates to match. Download a clean Word or PDF file with no sign-up and no watermark.

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Engagement classificationIncludes a digital-replica (AI) clause?

Actor Engagement Agreement

This Actor Engagement Agreement is made on between , of (the "Producer"), and , of (the "Actor").

1. Role and Project

The Actor agrees to perform the role of in the production titled . Description of the Project: .

2. Term

The engagement begins on and continues through , covering rehearsal, performance, and any dates reasonably required for the Project, subject to reasonable notice of schedule changes from the Producer.

3. Compensation

Payment type:
Fee or rate:
Schedule:

Bonus terms, if any: .

4. Independent Contractor Status

The Actor is engaged as an independent contractor and not as an employee of the Producer. The Actor is solely responsible for their own taxes, insurance, and benefits, and the Producer will not withhold employment taxes from payments under this Agreement.

5. Credit

The Actor's credit for the Project will be: .

6. Name, Image and Likeness

The Actor grants the Producer the right to use the Actor's name, photograph, and likeness in connection with the following: . This grant does not include a digital replica of the Actor's voice or likeness, which is addressed separately below.

7. Confidentiality

The Actor shall not disclose confidential information about the Project, including scripts, storylines, and production details, for years following completion of the Project, except as required by law.

8. Exclusivity

For months before and months after the Project, the Actor shall not accept a competing lead role in a directly competing production without the Producer's prior written consent.

9. Termination

Either party may terminate this Agreement for a material breach that is not cured within a reasonable period after written notice. If the Producer fails to pay any amount due and does not cure that failure within days of the Actor's written notice, the Actor may terminate this Agreement by written notice to the Producer.

10. General

This Agreement is governed by the law of , with venue in , and constitutes the entire agreement between the parties regarding the Project.

Producer

Date:

Actor

Date:

Decide contractor or employee up front — don't let the payment clause decide it for you

Whether a performer is an independent contractor or an employee affects taxes, insurance, and labor-law protections, and it should be a deliberate choice reflected consistently throughout the contract — not something that drifts from a "salary" in the compensation clause to a contractor framing everywhere else, which is a real inconsistency and a common drafting mistake. This template asks you to choose the classification up front, and the compensation, tax, and general clauses stay consistent with that choice.

Name, image and likeness needs its own clause — it isn't the same as intellectual property in the performance

A clause assigning "intellectual property created by the Actor" to the producer is about the performance itself; it says nothing about the separate right to use the actor's actual name, photograph, or likeness in marketing, trailers, merchandise, or publicity. Those are different rights and a contract silent on one just because it covers the other leaves a real gap — usually discovered only once a poster or trailer is already out.

AI digital replicas: California's rule is now in force

Effective January 1, 2025, California Labor Code §927 (enacted by AB 2602) makes a digital-replica provision in a personal-services contract unenforceable — specifically as to a new performance fixed on or after that date — if it lets the producer create or use a digital replica of the actor's voice or likeness in place of work the actor would otherwise have performed, doesn't give a reasonably specific list of every proposed use, or was negotiated without the actor being represented by legal counsel or a labor union. Only the digital-replica provision itself falls if these aren't met; any separate exclusivity grant survives. A contract with no digital-replica clause at all — like Jotform's — simply doesn't address the issue; this template gives you one that's built to actually hold up.

The clauses, explained

Engagement classification: States up front whether the Actor is engaged as an independent contractor or a production employee, and the compensation and tax clauses stay consistent with that choice throughout.
Role and project: Identifies the specific role and the project, and describes the scope of the performance the Actor is agreeing to.
Compensation: The fee or rate, payment schedule, and any bonus tied to the project's performance.
Credit: How the Actor will be credited — billing order, on-screen credit, or marketing materials — an element performer contracts commonly address and Jotform's version omits entirely.
Name, image and likeness: A clause specifically addressing use of the Actor's name, photograph, and likeness in marketing and promotional materials, distinct from the rights clause covering the performance itself.
Digital replica (AI): A clause addressing any AI-generated digital replica of the Actor's voice or likeness, drafted with a specific-uses list to meet California Labor Code §927 — rather than a blanket grant that risks being unenforceable, or no clause at all.
Exclusivity: How long, before and after the project, the Actor agrees not to take a competing lead role — with a defined number of months, not an open-ended restriction.
Termination: Gives the Actor the right, on written notice after an uncured payment default, to terminate — a deliberate choice the Actor makes, rather than a contract that terminates itself automatically on a missed deadline.

Requirements checklist

A digital-replica clause must list specific uses and the performer must be represented
A provision allowing an AI digital replica of the performer's voice or likeness in place of work they'd otherwise perform is unenforceable unless it lists the proposed uses with reasonable specificity and the performer was represented by counsel or a union during negotiation.
Cal. Labor Code §927 (AB 2602), effective Jan. 1, 2025

How to use this template

Choose the engagement classification. Select independent contractor or production employee — this determines the tax and compensation wording used throughout the contract.
Fill in the role and project. Type the role, project title, and a description of the performance into the highlighted blanks.
Set compensation, credit, and any bonus. Choose the fee or rate structure, the payment schedule, how the Actor will be credited, and any bonus terms tied to the project.
Define name, image and likeness use. Describe where and how the Actor's name, image, and likeness may be used in marketing and promotional materials.
Address digital replicas explicitly. If an AI digital replica is contemplated at all, list every proposed use specifically and confirm the Actor is represented in the negotiation — otherwise leave the clause turned off rather than granting a blanket right that may not hold up.
Set exclusivity and sign. Fill in the exclusivity period before and after the project, then both parties sign on the signature lines before downloading.

Frequently asked questions

Should an actor be an employee or an independent contractor?

It depends on the engagement, and it should be a deliberate choice — not something a payment clause decides by accident. Union productions, ongoing series work, and productions with significant creative control over the performer often point toward employee status; short, discrete engagements are more often structured as contractor arrangements. This template lets you pick and keeps the rest of the contract consistent with that choice.

Does this contract cover use of my likeness in an AI-generated replica?

Only if you turn that clause on and fill in the specific list of uses. As of January 1, 2025, California law makes a digital-replica provision unenforceable unless it lists the proposed uses specifically and the performer was represented in negotiating it — a blanket "we can make an AI version of you for anything" clause is exactly the kind that fails.

Is name, image and likeness the same as the IP-assignment clause?

No. An intellectual-property clause typically covers the performance itself and creative contributions; name, image and likeness is the separate right to use the actor's actual identity in marketing and publicity. A contract needs both, addressed separately, not one standing in for the other.

What happens if I'm not paid on time?

This template gives the Actor the right to terminate on written notice if a payment default isn't cured within the stated period — a right the Actor exercises, rather than a contract that automatically ends itself on a missed date, which can cut off a production relationship over an honest administrative delay.

How long can an exclusivity restriction last?

That's for the parties to agree and state as a specific number of months before and after the project — an open-ended or unreasonably long restriction is more likely to be found unenforceable, particularly in states that disfavor broad restraints on a person's ability to work.

Does this contract need a credit clause?

It's not legally required, but it's standard practice and worth including — billing order and on-screen or promotional credit are frequently negotiated terms, and leaving the point unaddressed invites a dispute later.

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Disclaimer

This template and guide are provided for general information only and do not constitute legal advice. Entertainment-industry contract terms, union requirements, and digital-replica law vary and change over time. Consult an entertainment attorney, and your union if applicable, before relying on this document.