Actors strike explained — in 10 dramatic memes

Will Smith has described the Hollywood actors and writers’ strikes as a “pivotal moment” in the industry.In an Instagram post on Friday (July 28), Smith expressed his support for the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) strikes.“I wanna talk for a second about ACTING,” Smith wrote. “As some of yall mighta heard, my guild, @SAGAFTRA are on strike along with our writer colleagues in the WGA.

Stephen Amell‘s strong feelings about the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike aren’t sitting well with fellow members of the Arrowverse.

Thousands of actors and entertainers are striking in Hollywood and around the country with the Writers Guild of America (WGA) for the first time in over six decades.But one actor who isn’t joining them is Amell, who said the cause is a “reductive negotiating tactic” that he simply doesn’t support.“I feel like I’m insulated in Hollywood, cause that’s where I live, like all the stereotypes that exist. I feel like a lot of people in this room aren’t aware of the strike,” the “Arrow” actor, 42, said during a Q&A at Galaxycon in North Carolina.“I support my union, I do.

Stephen Amell, whose Starz drama series Heels returned for its second season over the weekend, is not going to the mat for the actors strike that is currently taking place in Hollywood.

joined the WGA in taking strike action on July 13, after negotiations broke down with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), who represent major studios like Netflix, Disney, Apple, Amazon, Warner Bros. and others.Both unions are seeking better pay, streaming residuals and safeguards against the use of AI technology amid the rise of streaming services.The strikes look set to have a major impact on the release calendar of upcoming TV shows and films, with many shutting down production in solidarity.Screen Actors Guild national executive director, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, recently said the strike could last until the early months of 2024.“I wouldn’t rule out January or February,” Crabtree-Ireland told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson made an “historic” donation to contribute financial support to the ongoing Hollywood actors’ strike this month.Earlier this month, negotiations broke down between the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and the US actors’ union SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists), with talks relating to base pay, residuals and the use of artificial intelligence in the industry.On July 13 – the day that the strike was declared – SAG-AFTRA Foundation president Courtney B. Vance and executive director Cyd Wilson wrote a letter to 2,700 of the union’s highest-paid actors to highlight the financial hardship that industry professionals were going to face as they stopped work (via Variety).After sending the letter, Johnson’s team reached out to offer help.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor SAG-AFTRA and Hollywood’s largest employers are wrestling over complicated contract proposals in a business turned inside-out by the transition from linear to streaming. But some of what’s on the table isn’t so complicated. Some of the discord between labor and management that led SAG-AFTRA to go on strike on July 13 is rooted in money and the hard reality of making minimum rates in Hollywood. SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher has vowed publicly that securing a hefty increase in minimum pay rates across the board is a deal-breaker issue for the union. Talk to any established working actor and it becomes clear why. Most of them say they’ve been dragged back to working for scale in a marketplace that has paid high-wattage stars record fees but put the squeeze on everyone else down the call sheet.

Marjaneh Ayati never expected to be watching dogs for a living.

Jenna Ortega‘s new film is one of very few set to continue production through the Hollywood actors’ strike.The Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) began a strike last week. The union, which represents 160,000 actors and performers, are seeking an increase in base pay and residuals in the age of streaming, along with safeguards against the unregulated use of artificial intelligence in the industry.This means that many projects in Hollywood have currently paused production, and will continue to do so until the strike ends.However, Ortega’s new film Death Of A Unicorn – an A24 production – has been given permission to restart production.The film stars Ortega and Paul Rudd as a father and daughter duo who run over a unicorn, and will see work continue due to SAG-AFTRA giving approval to the continued production of films from studios or companies not represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).The actors’ strike coincides with the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, which began on May 2 and halted production on a number of projects.

Prime Video Italy’s scripted chief Davide Nardini took to the stage at the AVP Summit today and provided views on the actors strike, the streamer’s strategic shift towards mainstream audiences and local talent.

Fran Drescher became the "it girl" in Hollywood from the beginning of her career. From dancing with John Travolta in her first film, to creating and starring in her own, award-winning television sitcom, and then pivoting into becoming one of the most powerful people in the industry – Drescher kept her eye on the prize: success.  The New York-native had big dreams as a kid, and wanted to be a writer, hairdresser, actor or politician.

The biggest names in Hollywood are showing their support for the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike by joining their fellow union members on the picket lines.

Twitter on Saturday (July 15) in response to the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) strike which began last week. The union, which represents 160,000 actors and performers, are seeking an increase in base pay and residuals in the age of streaming, along with safeguards against the unregulated use of artificial intelligence in the industry.In a post in support of the strike, Ruffalo wrote: “How about we all jump into indies now? Content creators create a film & TV-making system alongside the studio & streaming networks? So there is actual competition.Then we just do what we always do—create great content & they can buy it, or we take it out ourselves & WE share in those sales.

Watch Below: Fran Drescher Explains The 2023 Actors StrikeTwo separate strikes are currently affecting Hollywood and the broader film and media industry. The 2023 Writers Guild of America went on strike on May 2, 2023, over an ongoing labour dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The strike is still ongoing and is the first official writers strike in 15 years.On July 13 the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (Sag-Aftra) also announced that they were formally on strike, joining writers who had been striking for weeks. This marks the first time in 63 years that Hollywood writers and actors are striking simultaneously. This marks the first time in 63 years that Hollywood writers and actors are striking simultaneously.The Writers Guild of America are demanding higher wages and an overhaul of the residual payment process to reflect the modern age of streaming content. The advent of streaming has dramatically shifted how audiences consume entertainment and streaming platforms such as Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video are generating more titles than ever before. This increase in market size has seen a collective decline in pay for writers during a time when the cost of living is increasing. Like the writers' strike, one of the main concerns of Hollywood's acting strike is the payment of residuals in the age of streaming and the union is demanding residuals to be partly based on viewership levels on streaming services.

It’s been quite a week for filmmaker Andrew Ahn. 

The 41st edition of Outfest is underway in Los Angeles after an opening-night event dominated by talk of the actors strike.

EXCLUSIVE: Hayley Atwell predicted that she’d be on strike now.

Thousands of actors have been walking the picket lines across LA and New York today and it’s clear that the SAG-AFTRA strike against the studios is going to continue to wreak havoc on scripted television.

Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis and other top actors joined picket lines alongside screenwriters on the first full day of a walkout that has become Hollywood's biggest labour fight in decades.

William Earl The SAG-AFTRA strike has shut down scores of film and TV productions as actors picket. While many sets had already shut down as a result of the WGA writers strike, this will effectively slow Hollywood down to a crawl as negotiations continue. Read Variety‘s list of newly-halted productions below, which will be updated throughout the strike. Beetlejuice 2 The Tim Burton production, with Michael Keaton reprising his role as the crude ghost, is almost done with shooting in London, but was still expected to film one more sequence in Vermont when the strike took place.