This is not true. You pay the actors their salary + a "deposit" to SAG, about 40% of your cast budget. You'll get it back once you're wrapped and they have proof that everybody's gotten paid.
If an actor doesn't show up, that is between you and the actor, that is none of SAG's business, they are there to protect the actor's interest and make sure you pay them accordingly.
The way the SAG ULB Agreements read, I send SAG their pay, plus the deposits a week early and SAG in turn pays out to the actors. It may be different with big budget productions. All I am looking at are SAG short and ULB Agreements.
So, if I have no shows, I will call SAG and report them and let SAG know why they will receive less money for the following week.
I know an actress who lost her SAG card from getting kicked out of Broadway plays from repeated lateness from partying too much the night before a show.
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