SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher and National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland on Friday laid out how the actors’ 118-day strike was ended and their thoughts on the deal with the AMPTP.
26.10.2023 - 22:57 / variety.com
Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer When it comes to life’s most difficult negotiations, sometimes you need a squishy friend by your side. That’s SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher’s policy for the contentious ongoing contract talks her union is embroiled in with Hollywood’s major film and TV studios.
“The Nanny” star has come to the table for weeks armed with a heart-shaped stuffed animal that serves as either an emotional support tool or a bargaining tactic, depending on who you ask. Stories about Drescher’s doll have been a hot topic around Hollywood for weeks.
One spy told us that Drescher had been carrying around a Furby — the furry doll that inspired a craze in the ‘00s from toymaker Hasbro — even planting it in front of studio heads at the negotiating table and saying, “My Furby is watching you.” But according to several other sources, Drescher’s special guest was actually a heart-shaped plush with dangling feet that apparently was manufactured by Jellycat, a niche toy brand that caters to toddlers in high-end department stores. A rep for Drescher did not respond to a request for comment.
SAG-AFTRA, however, announced on Thursday that it would hold a picketing event on Friday at Amazon Studios, themed as “Plushie day in solidarity with Fran.” Striking actors are encouraged to “bring your heart-shaped plushies and stand with Fran!” The toy was given to Drescher by a fan, she told the Los Angeles Times last week. It retails for as little as $15 and is described as “snuggly soft in cream fur with a sweety stitchy smile and silver sparkly legs.” Owners are encouraged to “pop this little heart in your pocket to take a little love wherever you go.” Drescher spoke about the doll on X Wednesday, as social media posts
.SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher and National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland on Friday laid out how the actors’ 118-day strike was ended and their thoughts on the deal with the AMPTP.
SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher is speaking out about the union’s new three-year contract with studios, putting an end to the actors strike that lasted 118 days.
The actors are set to vote on the tentative agreement with the studios after the SAG-AFTRA national board approved the deal.
In a full-circle moment, SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher is holding a press conference at 2 p.m. today in the James Cagney Boardroom of the guild’s Wilshire Boulevard headquarters, the same place that she fired up the troops with her strike-launching speech on July 13.
Fran Drescher, the union’s president, has not only secured tentatively a historic three-year deal with studios but also garnered praise from some of Hollywood’s biggest names. Among them, George Clooney who expressed sheer astonishment at the deal.
The SAG-AFTRA strike is finally over after 118 days.
EXCLUSIVE: “We know that generations from now they’ll be talking about this seminal contract and reaping the benefits of it in the way that we have been for the last 65 years with a contract that was negotiated when Ronald Reagan was in my position,” says SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher of the new contract the actors guild made with the studios on Wednesday after 118 days on strike.
Tyler Perry is speaking out on the SAG-AFTRA strike, now in its 117th day, as it appears a possible deal is getting much closer.
This is Day 116 of the SAG-AFTRA strike.
Kid Cudi has expressed his support for Palestinians caught up in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.The rapper – real name Scott Mescudi – shared a lengthy post on Instagram calling for “an end to the ongoing genocide” in Gaza.Gaza’s health ministry has said 10,022 Palestinians have been killed following Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, which saw over 1,200 Israelis killed, according to Sky News.Kid Cudi wrote: “The things I’ve been seeing in the news have been breaking my heart. I can’t watch what’s happening in the world and remain silent.
It’s not quite Where’s Waldo?, but Fran Drescher wants to know when the studio CEOs are coming back to the table to finalize a new SAG-AFTRA three-year contract to end the guild’s nearly four-month-long strike.
This is Day 112 of the SAG-AFTRA strike.
Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Progress has been made toward ending the SAG-AFTRA strike in recent days, but “a lot” of issues are still on the table, the union’s chief negotiator said Monday morning. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the chief negotiator and executive director of the guild, made an appearance at the Disney picket lines. In an interview outside the studio gates, he would not hazard a guess as to when the strike will be over.
Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer SAG-AFTRA leadership continued to bargain with the major studios on Sunday, but despite growing optimism around the industry, no deal has been reached yet. The union presented its latest proposal to the studios on Saturday. The two sides were said to be engaged in “productive” talks through the weekend.
SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher took to Instagram to express her condolences over the passing of Friends star Matthew Perry.
William Earl “Saturday Night Live” breakout Sarah Sherman portrayed SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher in a Halloween-themed sketch that took aim at studios, the guild’s controversial Halloween costume recommendations and “The Nanny” star herself. The sketch portrayed children running around in IP-branded Halloween costumes getting halted by Drescher, who was there to “teach you how to do Halloween during a strike.” That includes SAG-AFTRA asking members to not wear costumes based on movie or TV characters, or else “we would be promoting the companies we’re striking against, which makes all of these children a bunch of adorable scabs.” Drescher then recommended safe costumes like “Harry Potter, as described only in the book” and “minor characters from the Bible.” Pointedly, after Drescher says “That’s why we’ve been picketing for 100 days” and another character responds, “That must be exhausting,” she deadpans back, “Hey, did you just call me exhausting? Well, a lot of people have.” The quip could have been a response to recent A-list pressure on Drescher and the guild to make a deal quickly.
Already widely mocked on social media, SAG-AFTRA‘s infamous Halloween costume guidance received more drubbing on Saturday Night Live.
Jay-Z couldn’t be prouder of his and Beyonce‘s daughter, Blue Ivy.
The actors were joined by some hip-hop legends on the picket lines this morning.
SAG-AFTRA kicked off its National Convention 2023 under the banner “Future Forward Union Power.”