It’s the biggest labor dispute in Hollywood in decades. Actors picketed outside film and television studios in Los Angeles and New York City on Friday (July 14). Hollywood star Jason Sudeikis (47) was also among the demonstrators in the Big Apple.
The “Ted Lasso” actor demonstrated on the first full day of the actors’ strike in front of the NBC building in New York. As the “Hollywood Reporter” reported, the police moved in briefly to drive hundreds of strikers behind barricades. The crowd then demonstrated peacefully to music by Beyoncé and Sister Sledge.
The actors went on strike after negotiations with studios and streaming providers failed over a new deal. The actors’ union SAG-AFTRA calls for better remuneration and regulations for the use of artificial intelligence (AI). “The issues that they don’t even discuss are the most important issues and if we don’t solve them now, if we don’t deal with streaming now, if we don’t deal with AI now, there will be no solution,” said the actress Susan Sarandon (67), who also protested in New York.
In Los Angeles, protesters moved to the Netflix building. Sean Gunn (49), who became known for his role as Kirk in the series “Gilmore Girls”, was there. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, he fumed that Netflix is still having great success with the series, but he’s not getting any of it: “It’s been one of their most popular shows for over a decade. It’s streamed over and over again, and I see almost nothing of the income that is generated.” Instead, the bosses paid each other millions in bonuses. “I don’t understand why they can’t cut those bonuses to share the wealth more with the people who created the content that made them rich.”
Screenwriters in the US have been on strike since early May. The actors followed suit last week. It is the first double strike of its kind in the United States in more than 60 years. It is expected that operations in the film studios will be paralyzed indefinitely. Productions are delayed – and it could also mean cuts for works that have already been completed. Because the Hollywood stars are no longer available for PR. On Thursday, the “Oppenheimer” stars left the premiere party in London after the start of the strike was announced. The “Barbie” premiere in Berlin on July 15 should also take place without a main actor.
