Many high-profile actors and actresses, including Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Jennifer Lawrence, Bob Odenkirk, Mark Ruffalo, Quinta Brunson and Rami Malek, among others, signed a letter urging SAG-AFTRA to take a hard line. In it, actors said they were prepared to go on strike for the contract that members need going forward.
“A strike brings incredible hardships to so many, and no one wants it,” said the letter. “But we are prepared to strike if it comes to that. And we are concerned by the idea that SAG-AFTRA members may be ready to make sacrifices that leadership is not. We hope you’ve heard the message from us. This is an unprecedented inflection point in our industry, and what might be considered a good deal in any other years is simply not enough.”
More than 300 actors signed the letter initially, and the signature count has now climbed to more than 1,000, according to trade publication Deadline. Among others who have signed on are Charlize Theron, Joaquin Phoenix, Jamie Lee Curtis, Cobie Smulders and Pedro Pascal.
The issues are some of the same as in the writers’ strike, including not only increased pay but progress on residuals paid for when films or shows are shown again, particularly on streaming services. Streaming platforms have been repeatedly removing older films and episodic shows from their services. Reducing payments of residuals is the main incentive to do so.
Fran Drescher, the star of the 1990s sitcom “The Nanny” and the current president of SAG-AFTRA, has also signed the letter.
When the 11th-hour contract extension was announced, Drescher seemed to be addressing those calling for a tough line in talks when she said in an email to membership, “No one should mistake this extension for weakness. We see you. We hear you. We are you.”
But Drescher has since faced criticism on social media for attending Dolce & Gabbana’s Alta Moda festivities in southern Italy this past weekend. The union issued a statement saying that the appearance was part of commitment to serve as a “brand ambassador,” and that she had been continuing to participate in negotiations remotely. But members took to social media to criticize the optics of her appearing there as a strike deadline loomed.
