Beam Me Up, Strikers: ‘Star Trek’ Cast & Crew Picket In LA & NY To Celebrate 57 Years Of Gene Roddenberry’s World
08.09.2023 - 20:37
/ deadline.com
On this day in 1966, Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek: The Original Series launched on NBC.
Some 57 years later, the stars and crew of the latest iterations of Roddenberry’s universe came out to remind the studios and fans why they’re striking.
There were pickets in both LA and New York. On the west coast, stars including Michelle Hurd,
LeVar Burton and George Takei turned up outside Paramount, which controls the franchise, while in New York the likes of Melissa Navia, who stars in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, was one of many in Manhattan.
The writers and actors said that they were to pay homage to Roddenberry’s vision of a future, a future where everyone is treated with respect and corporate greed is a thing of the past. “Sadly, though, the studios and the AMPTP are failing to live up to Gene’s vision,” the WGA said.
Navia, who plays Lt. Erica Ortegas in the Paramount+ series that recently ended its second season. Told Deadline that the strike was “exhausting” but “necessary”.
“We’re fighting for the future of our jobs. To see so many fans and the people who are the reason that we do what we do, the reason we tell stories, here with us, telling us how much our work matters and what it means to them is just a reminder of why we do what we do and why this fight is so necessary,” she said.
WHY I'M STRIKING: "It's necessary… I don't know what the studios are thinking. All we want to do is tell stories… In order to do that we need to be paid fair, reasonable within wages…" – Melissa Navia of 'Strange New Worlds' at WGAE 'Star Trek' picket #WritersStrike pic.twitter.com/iuJAWC5Ibk
Michelle Hurd, who plays Raffi Musiker in Star Trek: Picard, which ran for three seasons on Paramount+ and is also Vice President of SAG Los