Hollywood uses people and squeezes every penny out of them they can get then spits them out. And the contracts are always one sided. But everyone thinks it won’t happen to them.
When casting a pilot the actors sign an agreement setting their LOW pay IF it’s picked up as a series. Sign it or no audition.
And isn’t it true that they sign up for a period of years if a series is done? I heard that a five year commitment is common, because if a series becomes a hit they want to have the stars of the show locked in.