Michael Buckner for Variety
After the SAG-AFTRA leadership announced that the union would go on strike, the strike began on Friday. In New York City and Los Angeles, the actors joined writers outside the studios, had to strike and band together outside of Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney, Amazon, NBCUniversal and more in both cities.
Corporate greed was at the heart of the messaging on the first day of the joint sit-down between SAG-AFTRA and the WGA.
When the bus carrying SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher and the rest of the negotiating committee arrived outside the Netflix offices in Los Angeles, they were mobbed by the media and fellow protesters as they slowly made their way down the sidewalk along Sunset Boulevard.
Drescher gave an emotional speech at Thursday’s press conference announcing the strike, and attended today’s protests with equal readiness to fight fire with fire. when asked before diverse On Friday about recent comments Disney CEO Bob Iger made about the strike, Drescher called the remarks “disgusting,” read her full statement here.
Tatyana Zabardino, a series regular on “Tulsa King” who has also appeared on “This Is Us” and “NCIS: New Orleans,” appeared on the Netflix sit-down with her 1-month-old daughter.
“I’ve got 50 cents left in my check,” the SAG-AFTRA member said, rocking her baby in a stroller. “I’m looking forward to a fair decade this year, with my image not being used to monetize another billion people.”
When it got over 85 degrees on Netflix, actor Dermot Mulroney accepted sunscreen from a colleague. “This is solidarity,” the star said, applying lotion to his arms. Mulroney declined to be interviewed because, “I’m just too emotional right now to talk. It’s crazy.”
Members of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA carried signs that read: “Your poor Montana farm!” ; “I try to pay my rent, not my third and fourth loan and fuel my private jet!” ; “ChatGPT can suck D”; and “Logan Roy will pay us more.”
Across Los Angeles at Paramount, collectors were chanting, “LA is a union city” with plenty of support from passing vehicles. Michael Schur, co-creator of “Parks and Recreation” and “The Good Place,” shared his thoughts on Hollywood’s problem with hangovers outside the gates. “my wife [J. J. Philbin] She’s also a writer, and she recently received a check left for 11 cents.” “I get it for four cents, three cents, and two like and not for ads like we were 25 years ago. But for shows we’ve had fairly recently. It’s an insult. This stamp to be sent this year was higher than the amount you pay us, what’s the point? “
Sean Astin, who participated in the sit-down with Caitlin Dulany, showed solidarity over the current problem with a hangover. “Are we valued workers or do we have an ongoing financial involvement in the products we help create?” Astin asked. “The hangover was kind of the catchphrase of that. As linear and cable TV took off, and as over-the-air boomed, we were taken out.”
Also seen at Paramount are “Jury Duty” star Alan Barinholtz and his son Ike.
At Warner Bros., the SAG members chanted, “Hello! Hello, Hello! We’re actors, not AI.” Celebrities like Ben Schwartz (“The After-Party”) and Mandy Moore (“This Is Us”) have been spotted outside Disney.
Despite the sweltering heat, the strike has its advantages. Churro Truck is provided by Netflix’s hit captains. Free tacos, brownies, and popsicles were given out at Disney. Local restaurants provided their own restrooms.
Meanwhile, on the East Coast, rain didn’t stop actor Anthony Rapp and co-star Ken Ethifull from appearing on Netflix/Warner Bros. picket lines. With their infant son, Ray Larson, on Rapp’s shoulders.
“I did a few episodes of The Mick a few years ago and it’s in some form of airtime now, and I get $1.25 in junk a few times a year,” Raab said, referring to members of Avtra as a major issue in the strike. “I did 2 episodes of The Good Fight, again, $3 left, $1.50 left.”
Raab added, “Residuals was born, to begin with, out of the 1960 strike, the last time writers and actors would strike together. Before that, not all the people who were on ‘I Love Lucy’, The Honeymooners, had seen an extra penny out of their millions.” The dollars the studios and networks made from those shows, in today’s dollars. That was the first time we were able to make the case, ‘You keep making profits from the work we did.'” There would be no such products without our work, so we must take advantage of the continuous service of that. And yes, livestreaming, these things live on their roofs or simply remove them so they don’t have to pay for what’s left anymore. We’re in a whole new landscape and companies haven’t met us halfway to accommodate the differences.”
Also spotted at the Broadway 888 location were nearly 200 sit-downs who are Helen York (“The Other Two”), Megan Boone (“The Blacklist”), Merritt Weaver (“Running”)” and “Severance” star Zack Cherry. Sources confirmed that Susan Sarandon has been picketing with the group before diverse He arrived at the scene. Protesters fought the weather in formal gowns and played “It’s Raining Men” for all to hear.
At 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the flagship location of NBCUniversal, the strike leaders spoke with the diverse on the major issues at hand, including artificial intelligence, and stressed their opinion that studios refuse to meet them halfway.
At HBO headquarters in New York, about 70 sitters gathered outside the line.
The location of the fourth SAG-AFTRA New York City sit-in was outside the Paramount Global offices in Times Square, where SAG-AFTRA New York President Ezra Knight gave a speech, and more than 150 sit-downs gathered.
Besides shutting down film and television productions, SAG members have many other things they can’t do, including any promotion of completed work, attending award shows or film festivals, and even discussing work on social media.
Additional reporting by Matt Donnelly, Clayton Davis, Adam B. Fary, Cynthia Littleton, Emily Longretta, Jazz Tangcay, Joe Utterson and Jennifer Mass.
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