Celebrities Stand on Picket Lines, Battling for Hollywood’s Future

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Top movie and TV personalities like Jason Sudeikis of “Ted Lasso” and Rosario Dawson, joined screenwriters on picket lines on Friday, signaling the start of Hollywood’s most significant labor dispute in years.

The disagreement had already put a halt to production across the entertainment sector the previous day. Sudeikis could be seen amongst the protesters outside NBC in New York, advocating for further negotiations after contract discussions with studios and streaming services fell through. Dawson, renowned for her roles in “Rent” and the “Star Wars” TV series “Ahsoka,” joined the protesters outside Warner Bros. studios in Burbank, California.

Famous faces such as “Lord of the Rings” actor Sean Astin, “Titanic” star Frances Fisher, and Fran Drescher of “The Nanny” fame, the current president of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, joined the energetic protest outside Netflix’s offices in Hollywood. Meanwhile, Ginnifer Goodwin of “Once Upon a Time” fame was seen with protesters at Paramount Pictures.

These Oscar and Emmy winners are expected to make regular appearances on picket lines in New York and Los Angeles, lending their fame to the demonstrations outside studios and corporate offices.

This is the first joint strike involving both actors and screenwriters in over sixty years. Actors have recently shown solidarity with the 11,500 writers who began their strike in May. On Thursday, 65,000 members of the actors’ union officially joined the strike.

Both guilds share concerns regarding contracts keeping pace with inflation, residual payments, and the threat of artificial intelligence imitating their work in film and television. The picket lines also saw protestors criticizing Disney’s CEO Bob Iger, who recently commented on the unfortunate impact the strikes would have on the entertainment economy.

Talks remain at a standstill, and the end of the work stoppage is not in sight. This is the first joint strike by both guilds since 1960, a significant point in labor history led by then-actor Ronald Reagan, which resulted in health and pension plans and the establishment of residuals.

The strike will have more than just filming implications. Stars will be prohibited from promoting their work at red carpet premieres or personal appearances. They will be unable to campaign for Emmy awards or participate in auditions or rehearsals.

Upcoming premieres and red carpet events have been affected, including those for “Special Ops: Lioness,” starring Zoe Saldaña and Nicole Kidman, and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer”. The “Haunted Mansion” premiere will proceed at Disneyland on Saturday, although without the attendance of any film stars.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass urged all parties to negotiate continuously until an agreement is reached, emphasizing the strike’s overall economic impact. The writers’ strike had already halted much of television production, and with actors joining, shooting for major films like “Deadpool 3,” “Gladiator 2,” and the new “Mission Impossible” movie has stopped. Late-night talk shows, “Saturday Night Live,” and several scripted shows have also been affected.

The writers’ strike also led to a pause in production for series like “Stranger Things” on Netflix, “Hacks” on Max, and “Family Guy” on Fox. With actors also going on strike, more shows are sure to follow.

This article was amended to correct the spelling of Jason Sudeikis’ last name and Ginnifer Goodwin’s first name.

Krysta Fauria from Big Big News contributed to this article.

For more information on the Hollywood strikes, visit https://bigbignews.net/hollywood-strikes/

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More about Hollywood labor strike

• Overview of the Hollywood Strike
• History of Hollywood Labor Strikes
• Information on Residuals in the Entertainment Industry
• Details on Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists