EXCLUSIVE: Mad Dog 2020 Casting, a 25-year-old British agency that has supplied background actors to productions including Call the Midwife and Doctor Who, is ignoring court orders to pay clients for work completed last year.
Mad Dog 2020 continues to trade despite failing to observe multiple county court judgments in favor of supporting artists owed hundreds of pounds from 2023. The company has also been accused of ghosting clients chasing money.
The payment issues have been rumbling on for many months, despite Mad Dog pledging to process all outstanding payments by the end of January 2024. Some clients have received the money they were owed, but others continue to chase. Equity and Bectu, two of the most prominent UK creative industry unions, are supporting affected members.
Mad Dog has not responded to Deadline’s repeated requests for comment. In a statement sent to some clients in March, Mad Dog apologized and said it was determined to resolve delayed payments while continuing to operate as usual. The company has said that the backlog will not impact actors who completed jobs in 2024.
Under UK regulations, it is unlawful for an agency to withhold payment from clients for more than 10 days after receiving funds from a producer, broadcaster, or streamer. The Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate has been alerted to the Mad Dog issue and the government-backed regulator has launched an industry-wide investigation amid concerns over the conduct of certain companies.
Caroline Farquhar is owed around £600 (£767) by Mad Dog for work last summer on BBC drama Casualty and Nicolas Winding Refn’s The Famous Five, also for the BBC. “They haven’t been in contact with me much, ignoring most of my emails, but when they have I have had nothing but empty promises,” she told Deadline.
In an email to a Mad Dog employee in March, Farquhar said: “This may seem like a drop in the ocean to you, but it means an awful lot to me and my family. I don’t do this job as a hobby, I do it because we need the money … I’m sure your job is really difficult at the moment, but there are some people out here struggling to pay the bills and live day to day.”
Another supporting artist, who did not wish to be named, was awarded a court order in his favor in March for a fee of £812.03 for work he had done on shows including Call The Midwife last November. He said the late payment was unfortunate because it came after a work drought during the U.S. strikes last year. “Any communication or anything has been either ignored or just fobbed off really,” he said of Mad Dog.
Julian Price has not received payment of £107.86 for his time on a BBC pilot last year and has a court order for the money. “I have worked for yourselves for a great number of years and I am deeply upset at how this situation has evolved,” he told Mad Dog last month.
In an email from Mad Dog’s accounts department on May 31, the company told Price: “We know this may not offer much comfort for you, but we have pushed and pushed your concerns on your behalf every day, continually. We have to wait until the FC [financial controller] or board have let us know that any payment is in process.”
In its statement to clients in March, Mad Dog said: “We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused. This communication aims to provide you with a further update on the delayed payment and the proactive measures we are implementing.
“We want to assure you that we are consistently upholding our commitment to pay artists who worked in 2024 aligned to our standard practice. This will continue to not be affected by the current backlog.
“Whilst we recognise the understandable frustration and always encourage SAs to work with and support each other, we want to reassure you that Mad Dog 2020 is following professional advice and have been advised there is no need to go into administration. We are confronting the challenges head-on and are determined in our commitment to resolving all delayed payments while continuing our operations as usual.
“We extend our gratitude to Equity and FAA [Film Artistes’ Association], Bectu for their collaboration in addressing these challenges. We encourage you to consider joining one of these unions, as they provide valuable support and assistance to their members in various matters. We deeply value your understanding and collaboration during this time. Rest assured, our primary focus remains on resolving outstanding payments and sustaining open lines of communication with all of our highly regarded artists.”
Mad Dog has taken a reputational hit because of the late payments crisis. Deadline is aware of a number of top producers who are prepared to quietly sever ties with the agency. They were reluctant to put their concerns on the record in case it created more issues for those yet to receive payment.