The strike is a “historic moment” for her, said 44-year-old Vera Cherny, who is best known from the series “The Americans” and “For All Mankind”. “It’s about time we did the deals that will benefit future generations of actors. Just like we did in 1960,” the actress said.
Stars like Allison Janney (“The West Wing”), Mandy Moore (“This Is Us”) and Ben Schwartz (“Sonic the Hedgehog”) also took part in the picket line. Jason Sudeikis and Susan Sarandon took part in a rally in New York.
After failed negotiations with the major film studios, the actors and actresses of the influential Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) union went on strike at midnight on Thursday. It is the first strike by US actors since 1980. Because US screenwriters have also been on strike for eleven weeks, Hollywood is experiencing a double strike for the first time in more than 60 years.
While the work stoppage of the screenwriters, which has been going on for weeks, has already severely hampered productions for cinema and television, many film and series projects are now likely to come to a complete standstill due to the actors’ strike. In addition, planned mega premieres for films that have already been completed will have to be canceled or postponed because the actors will not walk the red carpet because of the strike.
SAG-AFTRA represents 160,000 actresses and actors, including stars Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence and Glenn Close. The union is demanding higher fees from studios and streaming providers such as Disney, Paramount and Netflix, as well as assurances about the future use of artificial intelligence. A deadline for an agreement in the negotiations with the Association of Film and Television Producers (AMPTP) expired on Thursday night without a result.
The last US actors’ strike in 1980 lasted more than three months. The last double strike by actors and screenwriters was in 1960.
