For many, the image of striking Hollywood actors calls to mind a pampered group of out-of-touch elites putting hard-working crew members out of jobs. That’s an image the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers tried to reinforce in the hours after SAG-AFTRA’s strike vote Thursday.
“The Union has regrettably chosen a path that will lead to financial hardship for countless thousands of people who depend on the industry,” read an AMPTP statement.
Earlier Thursday morning, Disney CEO Bob Iger made a similar remark, blaming the striking actors and writers for derailing the industry’s economic recovery with “unrealistic” demands.
“I wonder if he has any concept of anything,” actor Jeff Torres told Rob Archer and Charles Feldman on KNX In Depth. “When you make $45 million a year, it’s really weird to say, oh, hey, you guys shouldn’t strike, people are losing money. He’s not gonna lose his home.”
Torres and fellow actor Shondalia White are among SAG-AFTRA’s rank and file – working actors who have landed some notable roles but still sometimes struggle to make ends meet. They both say the financial realities of their profession have become untenable.
“I remember just doing a commercial back in the day, you can make a living from that. One commercial now, you’re lucky if you get five thousand bucks,” White said.
During such a dire economic moment, Torres expressed dismay that the pay raises the AMPTP proposed in their deal don’t even keep up with inflation. The studios’ AI proposal was yet another devastating blow for background actors, the union’s most underpaid members.
“They make their checks from working day to day. Every single day matters to them. These studios were saying, we want to use AI to scan background actors, we pay them for one day, we can use their image and likeness in perpetuity forever,” Torres said. “There’s no universe where that’s fair. These people are absolutely insane.”
While there may have been a difference in perspective between day players and A-list stars in the past, White said “this time feels different.” Torres pointed to the letter signed by dozens of top stars urging the union not to compromise in negotiations.
“It made a huge difference to us, because they are not fighting for themselves,” he said. “I did the math, if you’re assuming there are 1000 famous actors that you can name off the top of your head, that you assume are making a million dollars a year, that’s [about] 0.0625% of our union. 99.94% of our union is working class.”
White and Torres both said they’ll take a financial hit by striking, but they believe it’s worth it to ensure a liveable future. Besides, living off savings and odd jobs is nothing new for the majority of actors.
“This is the thing, when [studio heads] are talking about, ‘how are they gonna survive, we’re going to break their will.’ Artists have had to have side jobs forever,” Torres said. “We all have like nine side jobs … We’ve monetized every single aspect of our lives, because capitalism’s crushing everyone.”
Listen to the full KNX In Depth Instant Special “Hollywood on Strike: What Now?” for more on the financial impacts of the strike on the entertainment sector and the L.A. economy at large.
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