The stars are coming together to share support for the Screen Actors Guild — The American Federation of Radio and Television Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike, which officially began on July 14, after ongoing negotiations with the Alliance of Film and Television Producers (AMPTP) failed. News of the actors’ strike comes more than two months after the Writers Guild of America labor union announced a writers’ strike on May 2, which celebrities also expressed support for.
The actors’ strike has begun since SAG-AFTRA began negotiations with producers in June to secure better wages and working conditions as well as protections against artificial intelligence, according to CNBC. Due to the strike, actors who are members of the union are not allowed to promote their old, current or upcoming projects on screen. Meanwhile, the writers’ strike has been going on for months after the WGA and AMPTP failed to reach an agreement on their next three-year contract, largely due to a dispute over writers’ compensation. As a result, all members of the WGA vowed not to write or sell new scripts for TV shows or movies until the union voted to end the strike.
Since the writers and actors strikes began, some of Hollywood’s biggest names have voiced support and solidarity. Everyone from Margot Robbie and Cillian Murphy to Keke Palmer and Matt Damon spoke out in support of the actors’ strike, which SAG-AFTRA union president Fran Drescher said on July 13 was the result of the actors becoming “victims of a very greedy entity,” adding that she was “shocked at the way people do business.”
Drescher goes on to emphasize the importance of the strike as artificial intelligence grows more and more. “…We will all be at risk of being replaced by big machines and businesses who care more about Wall Street than you and your family,” she said at a news conference. “Most Americans don’t have more than $500 in an emergency. This is a huge problem and it weighs on us. But at some point you have to say, ‘No, we’re not taking this anymore. You guys are crazy! What are you doing? Why are you doing this?'”
The actors joined several stars who showed support for the writers’ strike. On June 15, Tina Fey, Sara Bareilles and Lin-Manuel Miranda joined a rally in New York City’s Times Square in solidarity with prominent writers. Then, on June 25, singer-songwriter Muni Long expressed public support for the strike during the 2023 BET Awards.
In the past, celebrities like Colin Farrell and Pete Davidson have supported the writers’ strike by dropping by WGA lines in May. Drew Barrymore also showed her support by withdrawing from her 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards concert in solidarity with the screenwriters, her rep confirmed to POPSUGAR May 4.
“I’ve listened to the screenwriters and out of respect for them, I’m suspending the live MTV Movie & TV Awards in solidarity with the strike,” Barrymore said in a statement. “Everything we celebrate and celebrate about film and television is born from their creation. And until a solution is reached, I choose to wait.”
Ahead of the writers’ strike, many of the stars attending this year’s Met Gala on May 1 spoke to Variety about their thoughts on it, with Brian Tiree Henry says“I just hope that everyone is treated equally. I hope they get what they deserve and I hope people listen to them. Everyone strikes for a reason.” Amanda Seyfried also spoke to the store on the red carpet and said: “I don’t understand what the problem is”, adding that the strike was “necessary”. “Things have changed when it comes to streaming and people should be paid for their work. It’s easy.”
Elsewhere, TV creators like “Abbot Primary School” star Quinta Brunson told AP News“I’m a member of the WGA and support the WGA, and they get — we, we — get what we need.”
Since the writers and actors strike began, many TV shows and movies have been forced to halt production (i.e. shoot and air new episodes), including “Saturday Night Live,” which canceled an episode hosted by the alum Davidson show. On May 3, “SNL” star Bowen Yang, who joined the strike, told The Hollywood Reporter of the sketch comedy show, “I’m really disappointed. I think we have a few good shows left. We’re all back rested and ready to work on Monday.” He added, “Pete is excited to host the show, even though he knows there’s a big asterisk for the week and there’s a low chance that’s not going to happen. I think we’re all ready to give our all for the next three weeks before the season ends.”
Other celebrities who have shared support for the actors and writers’ strikes include Hilary Duff, George Clooney, Brian Cox, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Kerry Washington, Jason Sudeikis, America Ferrera, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Mark Ruffalo, Mariska Hargitay, Lisa Ann Walter, Ayo Edebiri, and many others. Scroll forward to see which other stars are supporting the strikes.
