‘The Crown’ & ‘Bad Education’ Actors Say They Are Owed Thousands In Withheld Fees By “Rogue” Agency Bodhi Talent
19.02.2024 - 09:57
/ deadline.com
EXCLUSIVE: An actress who featured in the final season of The Crown and a series regular in Jack Whitehall’s Bad Education have said they are owed thousands in unpaid fees by scandal-hit agency Bodhi Talent.
Thea Beyleveld and Jack Bence were both loyal Bodhi clients but said they discovered that the agency had withheld money from them following the publication of a Deadline exposé on the company. Beyleveld also alleged that Bodhi “skimmed” money from her paycheck.
Beyleveld and Bence are among around eight Bodhi clients in contact with acting union Equity as they attempt to secure their money. Equity believes the cases are actionable and the union will go through civil courts to fight for cash. It is unlawful for UK agents to pay actors later than 10 days.
Bodhi founder Archie Purnell has not responded to requests for comment. He has previously denied paying actors late, telling Deadline he was “absolutely stunned” by the “totally incorrect” allegations.
Beyleveld said she was owed nearly £9,500 ($12,000) by Bodhi, including more than £2,000 from her work on Season 6 of The Crown, in which she appeared as a speech therapist to Princess Margaret, played by Lesley Manville.
Separately, Beyleveld said she was owed more than £7,000 from a Motorway car sales advert she filmed with Wonderhood Studios, the production company founded by former Channel 4 CEO David Abraham. The cash was paid to Bodhi by Wonderhood on August 1, 2023.
Beyleveld received more than £3,000 of her payment from The Crown, but after contacting the show’s accounts team, Beyleveld discovered Bodhi had withheld around £2,000 for more than a year, according to remittance documents.
Beyleveld said Bodhi founder Archie Purnell repeatedly lied about