With SAG-AFTRA and the WGA both on strike, The On Deadline Podcast dove deep into the Hollywood standstill that it hasn’t seen in decades and the implications it could have for years to come.
Actors and writers in Hollywood appear to be after similar points in their contract negotiations, calling for better working conditions, fair compensation, and protection from artificial intelligence stealing their jobs or likeness.
Among those joining their writing counterparts on the picket lines this week were some notable stars, including Sean Astin, who portrayed Samwise Gamgee in “The Lord of the Rings” series; Sean Gunn, who is the brother of director James Gunn and plays several characters in Marvel’s “Guardian of the Galaxy” franchise; and SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher.
While speaking on the picket lines, all three had serious messages to share, most notably Gunn, who took shots at his boss, Disney CEO Bob Iger, after the executive said actors striking was a shame.
“I think when Bob Iger talks about, ‘What a shame it is,’ he needs to remember that in 1980, CEOs like him made 30 times what their lowest worker was making,” Gunn said. “Now Bob Iger makes 400 times what his lowest worker is, and I think that’s a f***ing shame, Bob.
Gunn went on to say that Iger should “take a look in the mirror” and ask himself if he’s okay living that way.
“If your response is that that’s just the way business is done now, that’s just the way corporations work now — well, that sucks,” Gunn said. “And that makes you a sh***y person, if that’s your answer. So, you should come up with a better answer than that.”
Drescher shared criticism for the deal that was presented to her union while speaking with CBS on Wednesday, saying that the deal wasn’t what they were expecting.
“Why would we go on strike if we were offered such an incredible deal? It doesn’t make sense,” she told CBS. “We’re not making $78,000 a day like the CEOs of these companies, so it’s insulting for them to imply that we’re being kind of spoiled brats when [our] people are journeymen working people that just want to pay the rent and put food on the table.”
To hear more about the strike and the implications it could have for the future of Hollywood, check out this week’s episode of The On Deadline Podcast on the Audacy app or wherever you get your podcasts.
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