The price of childhood fame can be steep. The checks that come afterward? Sometimes just pennies.
“Ned’s Declassified” alum Jennifer Tedmori recently went viral after revealing the surprisingly small residual checks she still receives from her time on the hit Nickelodeon sitcom.
The former child star-turned-lawyer, who now hosts the mental health podcast “Off My Meds,” told Fox News Digital that those small payments expose just one part of the hidden cost of fame that can follow child actors long after the cameras stop rolling.
“I’ve had a lot of time to think about why so many child actors struggle into adulthood,” she said. “I think it’s a couple of things. I think home life is a big part of it. I think upbringing, I think intentions as to why somebody is in the business is a big one.
“But I think, as I watch some colleagues and co-stars go through really tough times with being an adult, I think I would just want the public to know that these are human beings. And I think there should be a level of compassion that is given to some of them because, as much as they’re prepared for being a child star, they really aren’t prepared for the adult world. And they’re not really taught the real world things outside of acting that can prepare them for just being a regular human being.”
When Tedmori sifts through stacks of unopened mail only to find residual checks worth pocket change — sometimes just a few cents, occasionally $5 — she laughs. But behind the humor is a reality that could have looked very different.
WATCH: JENNIFER TEDMORI REVEALS REALITY BEHIND ACTORS’ RESIDUAL CHECKS
Growing up, Tedmori said she was encouraged to build a life beyond acting and pursue other passions. Many of her peers, she noted, were prepared for fame and success — but not for what happens when the spotlight fades and the hit show ends.
“I made the conscious decision after I was around 18 and figuring out part-time jobs and how I was going to move forward with the uncertainty of an actor’s life that I decided to go to law school,” she said. “And I think that was the best decision I could have ever made for myself because I am someone that values stability, financial stability. But when it comes to child actors, there’s a misconception that they are set for life.”
“There is a misconception that, if we see somebody on a show, that fame equals wealth,” Tedmori said. “That’s not the case for most people.”
On “Ned’s Declassified,” Tedmori played Doris Trembly, a member of the “Huge Crew,” a group of girls who had crushes on Ned (Devon Werkheiser). The show aired for three seasons from 2004 to 2007.
“… Anybody that’s getting residuals, they taper off over time,” she said. “And if it’s anything like what I’m getting, which from what my colleagues and former co-stars have been saying, they’re all getting the same type of checks. … So, there is a misunderstanding that you are set for life, and that isn’t necessarily the case. … And in most cases, I think it costs more in their mental health than it does in the checks that they’re getting in terms of the value lost and value earned for a child actor. … I think it ends up being kind of rough for them.”
In her viral video, Tedmori opened checks for 68 cents, 87 cents, 36 cents, 45 cents, two for three cents, three for 81 cents and two for $1.01.
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“So for ‘Ned’s Declassified,’ that earned me a grand total of $8.63,” she said while sitting in her car. “With ‘90210,’ $30.06. Maybe I can go buy a coffee at Starbucks. Do I even report this to the IRS? They’re not even going to give a f—.”
The largest check Tedmori found in the pile wasn’t for “Ned’s Declassified,” but for her work on CW’s “90210.” She appeared in the reboot as “Goth Girl.” The check was for $21.43.
WATCH: JENNIFER TEDMORI REVEALS SURPRISING ‘90210’ RESIDUAL CHECK
“I’m super grateful for the opportunities I’ve had in my career, and with ‘Ned’s Declassified,'” Tedmori clarified.
“… But the lawyer in me really has to contemplate if there’s a better system for doing this. … It costs more to pay somebody to issue the check and for them to go to SAG-AFTRA, and then for them to write a statement, print the check, put it in an envelope and then send it to me for all of 2 cents. … And what’s crazy is I can’t even electronically deposit these checks. It’s too low of an amount. … So then I’ve got to go to the bank, look somebody in the eye, and be like, ‘Here’s my check for all of 2 cents that I’m cashing.’”
Fox News Digital reached out to SAG-AFTRA for comment.
Tedmori believes there’s a more meaningful way to put these “penny checks” to use. She suggested actors with envelopes piling up could pool the money. Collectively, she said, those pennies could help create a fund for struggling peers.
“So many actors have talked about their experiences with residual checks, specifically the penny checks and not depositing them, but not throwing them away,” she said. “[We should allow] actors the opportunity to donate them or put them in a charity fund for creatives.”
“I think about when I go to the grocery store, and they ask me if I want to donate the remainder of the less than a dollar amount to round up to a charity of their choosing,” she said.
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“I think, why can’t we do the same as actors? I don’t know what that looks like, but I did have the thought that I would so gladly donate all of my residual payments to a charity or some sort of actor’s equity fund to help struggling creatives. And I think specifically, with these checks, it adds up. So for me, what seems like $8.63 from ‘Ned’s Declassified’ and $8 from my co-star and another, that might not be a lot of money to a charity, but I think, as a whole, could actually be a significant amount that could go help a greater cause.”
Tedmori said she’s considering a social media series about the residual checks to shed light on the realities of child stardom.
“I think it’s something that probably should be talked about more, just because more people don’t realize it,” she said. “Growing up, I don’t think that there was a whole lot of conversation about finances. Maybe there should have been. I was just doing it because I love to act. I love to perform. And for me, it was fun. I didn’t really think about what that might look like financially down the line.”
Fox News Digital’s Tracy Wright contributed to this report.
