At striking actors' hangout bar, tiny residual checks no longer a joke

By Lisa Richwine STUDIO CITY, California (Reuters) - For actors trying to make it in Hollywood, a small residual check from one of their first jobs used to prompt laughter, and at one neighborhood watering hole, a drink on the house. Residuals Tavern provided a free beer to any performer who brought in a check for less than $1 from reruns of TV shows or movies and posted the check on a wall. But penny payouts have become far more common, actors say, and they are no laughing matter. "Back in the late '90s, it used to be kind of a rarity to get a tiny residual check," actor John O'Brien said. "Y...