What does Minor Performer mean?
Minor Performer is the legal and industry term for any performer under the age of 18 — a designation that triggers a comprehensive set of special protections, requirements, and restrictions under state child labor laws and SAG-AFTRA union agreements. As a minor performer, a child actor is subject to strict limits on working hours by age group, mandatory rest periods, required supervision by a studio teacher and welfare worker, parental or guardian presence at all times, and Coogan Law protections ensuring a portion of earnings is held in trust. The minor performer designation applies regardless of the performer’s experience or professional level.
Example:The production’s SAG-AFTRA compliance officer confirmed the child’s status as a minor performer before filming began — triggering the full set of protections including studio teacher assignment, work hour tracking, and verification that the required work permit was current and valid.
Example: The casting breakdown specified that all submissions for the role should come from minor performers only — a designation that the production would verify through the work permit application process before any minor was allowed on set.
Did you know?
The legal protections for minor performers in California are among the most comprehensive in the world — developed over decades in response to documented exploitation of child performers in the early Hollywood era. The combination of the Coogan Law (financial protections), work permit requirements, studio teacher mandates, and strict hour limits creates a multi-layered system designed to protect children’s physical welfare, educational continuity, and financial security. Parents who understand these protections are better equipped to advocate for their child when productions — intentionally or inadvertently — fail to comply.
You can also find “Minor Performer” and related terms in this category: Entertainment Law.
