The antics of major Hollywood actor Charlie Sheen have resulted in the cancellation of a multimillion-dollar production and put an entire cast and crew out of work, begging the question: Can this actor still be insured?
Broker to the stars Lorrie McNaught, vice president with Aon/Albert G. Ruben, the retail entertainment division of Aon Corp., located in Sherman Oaks, Calif., responded.
"The short answer is yes, absolutely. Everything is insurable, and it usually comes down to two things: price and the experience of the broker helping to underwrite the exposure."
Mr. Sheen, son of actor Martin Sheen, is known for his legendary partying, which has escalated in recent months. He has made the news in the wake of trashed hotel rooms, charges of drug and alcohol abuse, and spousal abuse.
His rants against his boss on talk shows have led to the cancellation of the hit show "Two and a Half Men."
While insuring Charlie Sheen may seem like a major challenge, Ms. McNaught observed: "We'll see. In my experience, just about every actor or athlete or anybody that's being covered has their own set of issues. They all have issues. We deal with it all day, every day."
While many assumptions are currently being made about Mr. Sheen, she said, "when you actually see a medical exam, then you really know what you're dealing with, whether this person has issues that have to be dealt with, or whether they're just out creating a buzz."
Ms. McNaught said that actual medical exams of actors in a show are usually dealt with up front. "Before you go in to a series or a film you see the medicals of all the cast members that are being covered."
Then when a loss happens, she said, "you already know whether it's going to be covered or not, based on what's been negotiated up front, based on the results of the cast's medical."
The big questions insurers have, Ms. McNaught said, are "is he sober, will he be held accountable, and will he show up for work." Those issues are dealt with and "sometimes you have to go back and deal with production and the individual you're talking about and come to an agreement."
As a result, the coverage might be written with a higher deductible or contain particular terms and conditions. "But you can always get them covered," Ms. McNaught said.
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