Hollywood actors vote to join writers in strike after talks stall
| Los Angeles
Leaders of Hollywood鈥檚 actors union voted Thursday to join screenwriters in the first joint strike in more than six decades. The strike, beginning at midnight, shuts down production across the entertainment industry after talks for a new contract with studios and streaming services broke down.
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, executive director of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Radio and Television Artists (SAG-AFTRA), said at a news conference that the union leadership voted for the work stoppage hours after their contract expired and talks broke off with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) representing employers including Disney, Netflix, Amazon, and others.
鈥淎 strike is an instrument of last resort,鈥� he said. Union leaders said at a news conference that they voted unanimously for a strike. Outside Netflix鈥檚 Hollywood offices, picketing screenwriters chanted 鈥淧ay Your Actors!鈥� immediately after the strike was announced.
It鈥檚 the first strike for actors from film and television shows since 1980. And it鈥檚 the first time two major Hollywood unions have been on strike at the same time since 1960, when Ronald Reagan was the actors guild president.
鈥淓mployers make Wall Street and greed their priority and they forget about the essential contributors that make the machine run,鈥� former 鈥淭he Nanny鈥� star and SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher said. 鈥淪hame on them. They are on the wrong side of history.鈥�
With a stoppage looming, the premiere of Christopher Nolan鈥檚 film 鈥淥ppenheimer鈥� in London was moved up an hour so that the cast could walk the red carpet before the SAG board鈥檚 announcement.
The imminent strike also cast a shadow over the upcoming 75th Emmy Awards, whose nominations were announced a day earlier.
Disney chief Bob Iger warned Thursday that an actors strike would have a 鈥渧ery damaging effect on the whole industry.鈥�
鈥淭his is the worst time in the world to add to that disruption,鈥� Mr. Iger said in an appearance on CNBC. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a level of expectation that [SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild] have that is just not realistic.鈥�
A nearly two-week extension of the contract, and negotiations, only heightened the hostility between the two groups. Ms. Drescher said the extension made them 鈥渇eel like we鈥檇 been duped, like maybe it was just to let studios promote their summer movies for another 12 days.鈥�
Before the talks began on June 7, the 65,000 actors who cast ballots voted overwhelmingly for union leaders to send them into a strike, as the Writers Guild of America did when their deal expired more than two months ago.
When the initial deadline approached in late June, more than 1,000 members of the union, including Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, and Bob Odenkirk, added their names to a letter signaling to leaders their willingness to strike.
The stakes in the negotiations included both base and residual pay, which actors say has been undercut by inflation and the streaming ecosystem, benefits, and the threat of unregulated use of artificial intelligence.
鈥淎t a moment when streaming and AI and digital was so prevalent, it has disemboweled the industry that we once knew,鈥� Ms. Drescher said. 鈥淲hen I did 鈥楾he Nanny,鈥� everybody was part of the gravy train. Now it鈥檚 a vacuum.鈥�
The AMPTP said it was disappointed in the breakdown.
鈥淭his is the Union鈥檚 choice, not ours. In doing so, it has dismissed our offer of historic pay and residual increases, substantially higher caps on pension and health contributions, audition protections, shortened series option periods, a groundbreaking AI proposal that protects actors鈥� digital likenesses, and more,鈥� the group said in a statement.
It added that instead of continuing to negotiate, 鈥淪AG-AFTRA has put us on a course that will deepen the financial hardship for thousands who depend on the industry for their livelihoods.鈥�
SAG-AFTRA represents more than 160,000 screen actors, broadcast journalists, announcers, hosts, and stunt performers. The walkout affects only the union鈥檚 65,000 actors from television and film productions. Broadway actors said in a statement that they stand 鈥渋n solidarity鈥� with SAG-AFTRA workers.
The 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America have been on strike since their own talks collapsed and their contract expired on May 2. The stoppage has shown no signs of a solution, with no negotiations even planned.
That strike brought the immediate shutdown of late-night talk shows and 鈥淪aturday Night Live.鈥� Several scripted shows, including 鈥淪tranger Things鈥� on Netflix, 鈥淗acks鈥� on Max, and 鈥淔amily Guy鈥� on Fox, have either had their writers鈥� rooms or their production paused. Many more are sure to follow them now that performers have been pulled, too.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP journalists Sian Watson in London, Krysta Fauria in Los Angeles, and Jake Coyle and Jocelyn Noveck in New York contributed to this story.
