In a historic move, Hollywood actors have declared their participation in an ongoing strike alongside screenwriters, leading to the industry’s most significant shutdown in over 60 years.
The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) is advocating for fairer profit sharing and improved working conditions from streaming giants. At midnight, approximately 160,000 performers will cease work, causing a major halt in the majority of film and TV productions in the United States.
Prominent stars like Cillian Murphy, Matt Damon, and Emily Blunt left the premiere of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer in London as the strike was announced. The SAG walkout commenced at midnight Los Angeles time, with picketing set to begin outside Netflix’s California headquarters before moving on to Paramount, Warner Bros, and Disney.
The union, officially known as the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), is also demanding protections against the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and computer-generated faces and voices to replace actors. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), representing the studios, criticized the decision, highlighting the financial hardship it will impose on countless industry workers.
The AMPTP proposed measures to address AI concerns, including protecting actors’ digital likeness and requiring their consent for digital replicas and alterations. However, SAG’s national executive director and chief negotiator, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, deemed the offer unacceptable, emphasizing the exploitation of background performers.
Another SAG demand targets streaming services, seeking higher base pay and residuals for actors, particularly those receiving significantly lower compensation for minor roles compared to A-list actors. The current streaming model denies actors access to information on the success of their projects, as streamers do not share viewership data.
Fran Drescher, SAG’s president, described the strike as a pivotal moment for actors, highlighting the prioritization of Wall Street and greed by employers over essential contributors who keep the industry running.
Simultaneously, the Writers Guild of America, comprising 11,500 members, has been on strike since May 2, demanding improved pay and working conditions. Some writers have pursued non-contracted projects, widening the impact of the strike. This “double strike” by both unions marks the first since 1960 when the SAG was led by actor Ronald Reagan, long before his political career as US president. The last actors’ strike occurred in 1980.
During a gathering of industry leaders, Disney CEO Bob Iger expressed concern, viewing the demands of actors and writers as impractical and detrimental to an industry still recovering from the pandemic.
The Directors Guild of America successfully negotiated a contract in June and will not be participating in the strike.
The walkout will result in further project closures and delays in addition to those caused by the ongoing writers’ strike. Films in production will face significant obstacles, including the impossibility of crucial re-shoots and other essential filmmaking processes due to the unavailability of actors. TV shows currently filming will also experience significant interruptions as actors become unavailable. However, in some cases, side agreements between performers and producers might allow work to continue.
Promotional events featuring top Hollywood stars will be affected, leading to rescheduling or scaled-back versions of events such as the Emmys and Comic-Con. While international events like the Toronto and Venice film festivals will proceed, SAG actors will be unable to attend as they traditionally do.
Following the strike announcement, several actors affiliated with SAG expressed their support on Instagram, including Bob Odenkirk from Better Call Saul, Cynthia Nixon from Sex and the City, and veteran actress Jamie Lee Curtis.
