Recurring Status

In the U.S. soap opera world, recurring status is the status of a performer who consistently performs in less than three episodes out of a five-day work week, and is therefore let out of their multi-year contract in order for the show to save money. Contract evaluations are done every quarter, and the actors that don't meet their "quota" of episodes are in danger of being dropped from their contract and put on recurring status. Instead of paying a flat fee for the actor over a series of a few years, the actor is then paid a certain sum for each show in which he or she is needed.