Kathy Bates Helped Cheyenne Jackson Save His Health Insurance and Now He’s Helping Other Actors
Cheyenne Jackson reveals how Kathy Bates secured him a five-line Matlock role before launching One Job Away to help actors qualify for health insurance.
A five-line appearance in Matlock might not sound like a career-defining opportunity for an established television actor, but for Cheyenne Jackson it helped protect his family’s health insurance.
The openly gay Glee and American Horror Story star has revealed that Kathy Bates helped him secure the small role when he was struggling to meet the earnings required for coverage through the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan.
Now Jackson is returning that kindness through One Job Away, a new Instagram campaign highlighting performers who need another paid acting job to qualify for health insurance.
How Kathy Bates helped Cheyenne Jackson
Jackson explained that he faced losing his union health insurance in 2025 because his acting earnings had fallen short of the qualifying threshold.
The situation was particularly concerning because his husband Jason and their two children also depended on his coverage.
He contacted Bates, who stars in the CBS legal drama Matlock, hoping she might know of an opportunity that would help him reach the required amount.
Bates responded by helping him secure a small appearance as an unnamed detective, a role involving just five lines of dialogue.
The part was far smaller than the roles Jackson is accustomed to playing, but the additional earnings helped him maintain his family’s health coverage.
Jackson has since explained that the experience demonstrated how much difference a relatively small acting opportunity can make when someone is close to meeting the insurance requirements.
What is the One Job Away campaign?
Inspired by Bates’s support, Jackson launched One Job Away in October 2026 to help other performers facing similar circumstances.
The initiative highlights actors who are close to qualifying for SAG-AFTRA health insurance, sharing their headshots, professional credits and contact information with people working in casting and production.
Among those featured are Trace Lysette, known for Transparent and Monica, Daniel Franzese from Mean Girls and Looking, and Jai Rodriguez, one of the original presenters of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.
By 27 October, Jackson had highlighted more than twenty performers and received hundreds of submissions from people hoping to secure additional work.
His campaign has also drawn attention to the difficulties experienced by transgender and non-binary performers, some of whom have publicly discussed struggling to find consistent acting opportunities.
Why are established actors struggling for health insurance?
The SAG-AFTRA Health Plan provides healthcare coverage to eligible performers, but actors must meet specific earnings or employment requirements during a qualifying period.
The earnings threshold is $28,933 for 2027 coverage, meaning even performers with substantial television and film credits can struggle to qualify if they experience a lengthy gap between jobs.
Unlike a conventional salaried position, acting work can involve unpredictable periods of employment followed by months without another substantial booking.
Previous earnings do not automatically guarantee eligibility in a later qualifying period, which can leave performers searching for a relatively small role to maintain their coverage.
Jackson’s experience illustrates that this problem is not limited to actors at the beginning of their careers.
How can people support One Job Away?
The campaign is designed primarily to connect actors with casting directors, producers and other entertainment professionals who may be able to offer suitable paid work.
Jackson is using his Instagram audience to introduce performers who might otherwise struggle to reach people responsible for casting decisions.
For the actors featured, one additional booking could provide the earnings needed to maintain access to healthcare.
The initiative grew from a small favour that helped Jackson and his family. By sharing other performers’ details, he hopes to create similar opportunities for people who do not have a Kathy Bates they can call.
Campaign: Instagram @one.job.away
