@zenvelo is correct for the actual acting at the time of the movie being made.
Depending on the contract – and they are all different, there may be various other income streams:
- a percentage of the profits (if there are any) after a year. This is what is known as ‘points’.
- residuals: any time the movie is re-released, or played on TV, even 30 years later, the actor gets some small sum for each appearance.
- digital rights, which can be separate from the screen payments – based on how many DVDs are sold or how many Netflix showings or how many downloads take place.
Contracts cover each of these alternatives, but each contract is different.