Actors join striking writers on the picket line as all Hollywood productions come to a dead halt
Hollywood's biggest names are throwing their support behind the actor's strike. Photo: Getty
For the first time since 1960, Hollywood actors and writers are on strike at the same time.
History was made when talks with studios broke down, while Hollywood’s largest actor’s union, SAG-AFTRA, was trying to reach a new agreement with the big studios.
Like the Writers Guild of America (WGA), the union was demanding increases in base pay and residuals in the streaming-TV era, plus assurances that their work will not be replaced by artificial intelligence.
A deadline to reach a new contract expired on Wednesday and on Thursday, the actors union announced its national board had voted unanimously to authorise a strike.
The effects of the walk-out were pretty much immediate.
One of the biggest movies of the year, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, was premiering on Thursday night and the red carpet for the occasion was moved up just in case the strike went ahead.
Stars of the movie, Cillian Murphy, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Robert Downy Jr and Florence Pugh, were among the cast members who walked the carpet and then left.
At the premiere, Nolan acknowledged the work of the cast and their absence on stage.
“We have to acknowledge, you’ve seen them here earlier on the red carpet, unfortunately, they’re off to write their picket signs for what we believe to be an imminent strike by SAG, joining my guild, one of my guilds, the Writers’ Guild, in the struggle for fair wages for working members of their union, and we support them,” he said.
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Actors supporting the strike
Speaking to Variety, Matt Damon said the cast had discussed the possibility of the strike, which is why Thursday’s event was moved up. He said if a strike were to be called everyone would walk in “solidarity”.
Co-star Kenneth Branagh also expressed the need for solidarity during the strike.
“There are a lot of people here we did not want to disappoint, but we’re also in complete solidarity with our colleagues and what they’re doing,” he said.
“I know they’ve worked diligently to achieve an agreement which is happening at a critical point in our industry. It’s important that we’re ready to be shoulder-to-shoulder with them as the situation develops.”
On July 21, Oppenheimer will be released in cinemas along with Greta Gerwigg’s Barbie, with Margot Robbie in the lead role.
Robbie has also said she is prepared to join the strike, saying she “absolutely” supports the strike and all the unions, as she is part of SAG herself.
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Her Barbie co-star, Ryan Gosling, also pledged to throw his support behind the actors.
Multi-award-winning actress Octavia Spencer is among the actors who have expressed support for the strike. In a post on Instagram, Spencer said she is standing with both SAG and WGA members “in their fight”.
“I support the many skilled unionised workers across all industries that deserve fair compensation. We cannot do it without each other,” she said.
Jamie Lee Curtis also expressed support for the strike, saying she would stop promoting Disney’s upcoming Haunted Mansion.
“The souls of ghosts of performers long past urging us in this modern moment to fight for our rights to exist as creators,” Curtis said.
Marvel actor Jeremy Renner simply remarked the strike was for a “necessary change” on Instagram.
There are a lot of things union members cannot do because of the strike. The strike will stop all production of film and scripted television shows in the US, unless it is an independent production that does not have contracts with the unions.
Some productions have already been impacted due to the writers’ strike, so it is reasonable to assume the actors’ strike will only bring more productions to a screeching halt.
This means some movies and TV shows will be delayed indefinitely.
Even if scripts are finished, meaning projects weren’t impacted by the WGA strike, studios won’t be able to start shooting, or continue, due to the SAG strike.
Reality shows will not be impacted and many studios are planning on pushing them in the wake of the strikes, Reuters reported.
Because the actors won’t be able to promote their movies for the duration of the strike, don’t expect any more Barbie press events.
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Why is this strike so significant?
The last time writers and actors were on strike at the same time was the 1960s.
The union represents some 160,000 actors, but it isn’t just Hollywood stars who are going to be swept into the conflict. Anyone who works behind-the-scenes in production, like set designers, make-up artists and even caterers, is going to be impacted.
Kevin Klowden, chief global strategist for the Milken Institute, told CNN the writers’ and actors’ strikes could lead to $4 billion in damage to Hollywood’s bottom line, with that impact not limited to the US.
Anywhere an American production company is shooting a movie will feel the effects of the strikes, even Australia, Mr Klowden said.
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