He plays rich on screen, but this 59-year-old dreams of full-time work in real life: ‘Why can’t I get a living wage?’

Doug Sharp isn’t a rich man — but he has played one in Hollywood.

Sharp, 59, lives in Los Angeles and until recently got the bulk of his income by driving for Uber and Lyft while moonlighting as a paid extra.

It’s the chance to earn the spotlight and work with others who share his passion for acting that keeps him going after years of having failed to find any other kind of full-time work.

Primary source of income: Sharp says he struggles to make ends meet, having survived the past few years on a generous pandemic unemployment reimbursement.

He has begun taking delivery orders on UberEats, but he said the pay barely makes it worth it.

What keeps Sharp going is acting — a notoriously fickle endeavor but one he says has upside potential. He recently got a small speaking part in a coming production featuring at least two Hollywood A-listers — and saw his daily pay rate go from about $200 to nearly $1,200.

“The money for background is good, and there’s always the possibility of being upgraded to principal,” he said. “That has happened to me — I have not found a replacement for it.”

Still, it’s not consistent enough for him to obtain full Screen Actors Guild benefits, so his health insurance is through Medicaid.

Living situation: Sharp lives alone and said his housing situation is unstable. It includes periodically renting from a friend, as well as an unauthorized arrangement he wasn’t comfortable discussing on the record.

Economic outlook: After nearly a decade of making steady pay driving for Uber and Lyft, Sharp has effectively quit both platforms for now, in part, he said, because their base pay and regular rates are no longer enough make it worth it to use them, especially for what’s needed to live in Los Angeles.

Acting remains enjoyable — Sharp said he isn’t a celebrity hound and simply enjoys being around other people.

“The older you get, the less parts there are,” he said. “However, the pool of older guys is smaller — and shockingly I always play the rich white guy, because that’s what I look like. But I didn’t I know look like a rich white guy until I started playing one.”

Yet the gigs have hardly been steady enough to make a career out of.

“What I can tell you is I barely work,” Sharp said. “In May I worked two days, in April I worked four days, in March I worked two days, in February I worked two days, in January I worked one day.”

Budget pain points: Sharp struggles buying basic necessities, to the point that he found himself recently trying to return goods around his residence to Home Depot and Walmart for cash or credit.

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