Daring SAG-AFTRA Strike Hits Hollywood With Dollars And Delays
With movie delays costing studios thousands of dollars and disagreements over how much money actors make for their work and time, Hollywood is in disarray.
Films being produced outside of the U.S. had no idea whether a strike would really come to fruition. The production team for Gladiator 2, filming in Malta, couldn’t have anticipated it. Working with a production team of hundreds of people, it all seemed possible but unimaginable. However, the entire production was forced to shut down after midnight on July 13.
Those are not the only major studio productions forced to a halt. Marvel’s Deadpool 3 and Warner Bros’ Beetlejuice 2 were no exceptions to the strike. The current strike doesn’t permit actors to appear in or promote any productions. This will help ensure the best possible chances for the group to reach their desired outcome.
Nonetheless, actors are not simply going home and laying in bed. They are writing signs and joining the picket lines. Joey King (Ramona and Beezus, The Kissing Booth, Bullet Train) and Logan Lerman (The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Percy Jackson, Bullet Train) were seen together protesting and holding up signs that read “SAG-AFTRA on STRIKE!”
The iCarly reboot cast and writers team also came together at the picket lines. The cast shared videos on social media singing the series theme song, “Leave It All To Me,” outside Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles, California. Miranda Cosgrove (Carly), Nathan Kress (Freddie), Jerry Trainor (Spencer), Laci Mosley (Harper), and Jaidyn Triplett (Millicent) can be seen in the video.
The cast of 'iCarly' sing series theme song "Leave It All To Me" while on strike in newly-shared video. pic.twitter.com/Ph1XqhPxlE
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) July 18, 2023
Jason Sudeikis, whose series Ted Lasso just received 21 Emmy nominations, was also spotted at the strike. The actor appeared with a sign in hand, chanting “What do we want? Contracts! When do we want ‘em? Now!” CNN asked for the reason behind his support of the strike and he replied, “Just listen. That says it all.” When he was asked how long he’s willing to stop acting and picket, Sudeikis stated: “As long as it takes.”
That mentality has been adopted by all members of SAG. SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher told reporters that they’re “in it for the long haul” after being asked about how drawn-out this strike could be. “… This is not something that’s going to go away quickly unless they (the studios) come to the table and come to their senses. Unless somebody has the character and the courage to walk into tht board room and say, `These are the people that make our business. They are the center of the wheel. If we don’t make them happy, what are we doing? They have to be happy. They’re the performers. We should honor and respect them for their massive contribution to this industry.”‘
However, there is a wide discrepancy between A-list stars who earn $20 million a year and less famous working actors who are lucky if they earn $20,000 from an acting job. That income gap means that the wants and needs for a new contract will look different for each actor. Right now, actors that deserve even an average pay are not receiving it.
Chris Browning acted in the Netflix original Bright alongside Will Smith. Netflix patted itself on the back after it was shown to be a huge hit. The audience loved it. Though Browning’s work was a major success, it did not pay off. “If it was back in the old DVD residuals days, I would have got a $25,000 residual check,” Browning stated. “I got $271 from Netflix.” That kind of money isn’t anywhere near enough for rent in Hollywood. For many, it wouldn’t even cover a week’s worth of gas fuel and food.
This is Us actor Mandy Moore (Rebecca) told The Hollywood Reporter that she received “very tiny, like 81 cent checks” for the streaming residuals for her work on the show. “I was talking with my business manager, who said he’s received a residual for a penny and two pennies,” she stated.
“The residual issue is a huge issue,” Moore added from Walt Disney Studios, where a picket line had formed. “We’re in incredibly fortunate positions as working actors having been on shows that found tremendous success in one way or another.” Moore admitted. “But many actors in our position for years before us were able to live off of residuals or at least pay their bills.”
According to SAG-AFTRA, residuals are a form of compensation that actors are paid for their work on a television series or movie after initial pay. Members and non-members of SAG-AFTRA make residuals after their work is put out. Residuals start after a show begins to re-air or after movies are released on another platform. It used to be DVDs and broadcast TV, but now productions are all put up on streaming services quickly after first release. This is leaving actors with little pay.
Though Hollywood is in shambles, actors are not backing down until they make a deal with studios that satisfies them. Studios are not negotiating to fit SAG-AFTRA’s goals either, so it seems we are in for the long haul.
