Patti LuPone Reveals The Real Reason She Left Actors Equity Association

Speaking with People, Patti revealed that the AEA accepted her resignation pretty quickly.

“They accepted my resignation and told me that if I ever wanted to rejoin, I’d have to be approved,” she said. “And it’s the perfect reason I withdrew from Equity. Fifty years to this year … I’ve been a card-carrying member of Equity, and they don’t know who I am basically.”

“They just said, ‘Fine, but if you want to rejoin, we’re going to have to approve you.’”

Patti then added that the AEA is “just not good, a I just didn’t want to give them any more money.”

“I just thought, ‘This is ridiculous.’ And I don’t know when I’m going to be back on stage,” she adds. “But then the best kept secret is that you can perform without being a member of Equity. Nobody knows that, so I don’t use their services. So, I’m not a member of Equity anymore.”

Previously, Patti said that she actually quit Broadway.