7 On Your Side helps actor get paid

NEW YORK (WABC) -- An actor was hired to appear in a commercial for a drug company.

He did the work, but after months of not getting paid, he needed help from 7 On Your Side.

It's his laugh and his smile that always got Luis Figueroa noticed.

"I did a lot of acting before I started my career with the post office," Figueroa said.

As a young actor, Luis even starred in a groundbreaking educational PBS series called "Watch Your Mouth".

He gave up acting to raise a family and start a career in the Post Office, but recently that laugh and smile got him noticed again.

Luis was selected to be part of an ad for a new diabetes medication.

"I fit the profile for what they were looking for because they picked me on that one and it happened to be just after I retired so I was like, bonus on that!" Figueroa said.

But that bonus turned bogus when the Bronx dad sat for the professional shoot in Chelsea, but months later, couldn't collect on his modeling rate of $2,200.

"$2,200 for that like a half hours work," Figueroa said.

"That's great work if you can get it," 7 On Your Side's Nina Pineda said.

"It's like give me another one next week!" Figueroa said.

Extras, models and actors are used to waiting weeks for pay, its part of the business.

But he says the ad company promised Luis's agency the models would get paid within 90 days.

"It's been like over four months," Figueroa said.

Recently retired with a son's college tuition to pay, Luis couldn't get answers on why the check was held up.

"No one was helping you?" Pineda asked.

"No one," Figueroa said.

"And they weren't calling you back?" Pineda asked.

"They were not, I was the one doing all the calling," Figueroa said.

When he saw the ad featuring his face on line Luis had enough and made one more call, to 7 On Your Side.

Finally a check was sent to Luis.

"You guys were the last option and it was a good option, it was, I'm happy, happy, very happy!" Figueroa said.

It turns out his manager had already been paid by the ad agency.

They apologized for the payment delay and cut him the check.

It was $2,200 back in his pocket and that smile was back on his face.

"You can't beat 7 On Your Side, you are for real, thanks so much!" Figueroa said.

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