In his job as an assistant costume designer on “The Blacklist,” Alex McBean spent the last few days in April wrapping up clothes and preparing for the last days of shooting the show’s 10th season. He made anywhere from $130,000 to $140,000 a year from helping build the wardrobe of the show’s characters, plus the additional work to supplement his income.
But when that income dried up during the writers’ and actors’ strikes, McBean needed to find a different way to make ends meet. He said he spent most of May and June “freaking out” about his finances.
He started working as a personal shopper in August, and has also been seeking a seasonal retail job.
“It’s very hard to translate what I do every day into other industries and other areas,” he said. “I’ve worked to get to a certain place in the industry and I make a certain amount of money. I can’t just overnight switch careers and still have that same yield of income.”
Alex McBean was an assistant costumer on “The Blacklist.” He has recently taken work as a personal shopper and has applied for jobs in retail.
Courtesy Alex McBean
Earlier this week, McBean and other New Yorkers who work in film and TV got some good news: The Writers Guild of America ended its five-month strike. And on Wednesday night, SAG-AFTRA, the union representing actors, said it would resume negotiations with the production companies on Monday.
Despite these glimmers of hope, not everyone knows if or when they’ll go back to work. Many crew members said they have had to pivot professionally in order to pay their bills. Some say they’ve felt lost without a career that gave their life meaning, while others have found themselves pursuing employment in unfamiliar industries.
The uncertainty around returning to work forced McBean’s co-worker, Christine Bean, the costume designer for “The Blacklist,” to take a job at the Mulberry Bar in Manhattan, where she plans events and parties and also books reservations.
“I’m always excited to…
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