Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, and other world-renowned actors have signed a letter sent to the Screen Actors Guild negotiators saying they are “prepared to strike” if their deal with Hollywood studios does not satisfy their demands.
The move by some of the biggest faces in the entertainment industry places even more turbulence on Hollywood as a great majority of writers have been on strike for weeks in pursuit of what they see as a fairer deal.
WHILE PUBLIC SCHOOLS CLOSED ON FEAR AND POLITICS, CATHOLIC SCHOOLS OPENED ON LOVE AND SCIENCE
“This is an unprecedented inflection point in our industry, and what might be considered a good deal in any other years is simply not enough,” the letter says, according to Rolling Stone. “We feel that our wages, our craft, our creative freedom, and the power of our union have all been undermined in the last decade. We need to reverse those trajectories.”
In a letter signed by 300+ actors, including Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Rami Malek, Quinta Brunson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ben Stiller and Amy Poehler, members of the Screen Actors Guild have threatened SAG-AFTRA that they will go on strike if their demands are not met. pic.twitter.com/sZR2y8kHWU
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In addition to Streep and Lawrence, other household names, such as Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ben Stiller, Brendan Fraser, Neil Patrick Harris, Quinta Brunson, Rami Malek, and Amy Schumer are reportedly among the more than 300 A-list actors to have signed their names on the Screen Actors Guild — American Federation of Television and Radio Artists letter.
The group made clear that “no one wants” a strike as it “brings incredible hardships to so many,” but the actors are prepared to do so if they feel it is necessary.
The actors union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, bargaining for the Hollywood studios, have been racing to make a deal as the June 30 expiration for the union’s TV/theatrical contracts approaches, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The group of writers is specifically urging a “seismic realignment” of minimum pay rates, streaming residuals, and exclusivity provisions, the outlet added, with the letter asking for a change in self-taped auditions practices and for major regulation of artificial intelligence, so that the deal “protects not just our likenesses, but makes sure we are well compensated when any of our work is used to train A.I.”
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Entertainment writers have been on strike for nearly two months. The Writers Guild of America West and Writers Guild of America East voted to strike in early May after failing to reach a deal with major studios over the prior six weeks. The writers have been steadfast in their demands for better treatment, increased residuals, and a larger percentage of profits.
Several productions have been forced to shut down in the wake of the writers strike.
