Ben Affleck, Julia Roberts: A-listers urged to do more amid Hollywood actors’ strike

As a teen actor, I vividly recall the thrill of getting my SAG-AFTRA union membership card way back in 1981, certain it would be the key to career success and a resume rich in film and television credits … perhaps even fame.

Then, as now, that only happens to a lucky few and the 160,000+ members of the Screen Actors Guild have to be satisfied with being showbiz journeymen, traditionally rewarded with residual payments for re-runs, health benefits and eventually a small pension.

But the business model of the 21st century has changed the entertainment landscape with streaming services, on-demand viewing and limited series.

Artificial Intelligence and other technology have been able to greatly trim costs for producers, and post-Covid audiences are generally less particular about the quality of the content being delivered. The studio bookkeepers realised that Quantity is King. (This is why the current success of Barbie and Oppenheimer is such a pleasant surprise for critics: films that are actually worth our attention!)

Instead of primping for a self-taped audition or dressing up for a cattle call, actors in America’s big cities like Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia and Chicago are taking to the sweltering streets to picket and, not surprisingly, are sharing the often party-like atmosphere on their social media accounts in lieu of their usual showbiz beats.

However, now in week two of the work stoppage (keep in mind that the Writers Guild also went on strike back in May), there is nothing festive about the situation.

It is not only the entertainment industry that suffers, but the ripple effect is being felt across the economic landscape. No production means no travelling, no accommodation, no catering, no dry cleaning. Hair and makeup artists, wardrobe workers, production crews, publicists and security guards are all scrambling.

Aside from terse PR-approved statements in solidarity with their striking brethren, where are the A-listers like Ben Affleck, Julia Roberts or Kate Winslet?

Props to Mandy Moore and Rachel McAdams, who got out there.

George Clooney referred to this moment as “an inflection point”, and while Nicole Kidman and Zoe Saldana’s new TV series had its premiere cancelled, they could have traded the red carpet opp for pounding the pavements of Burbank.

Stars can afford to wait out the negotiation process, but while the average actor needs a pay cheque, they also have a calling to perform.

From the days of the Greek chorus and court jesters to the Vaudeville stages and street corner buskers, an actor must act. They will eventually stop waiting for a union contract.

That’s what studio executives are counting on.

For them, it’s all about the financial bottom line – but they also understand the psychology of “the talent” and their innate desire to be in the spotlight, even if it’s just on Instagram.

Moguls are digging in to “starve them out” by only making concessions that the union members say are “insulting”.

Broadway, TV and film veteran Ilene Kristen has been picketing and attending rallies in support of her union and plans to continue until the strike is over.

“Years ago,” she explains, “when new language appeared in contracts such as cable and new media, it was not really dealt with. When the streaming services started, they claimed they were not producing enough revenue to pay more to actors. If we don’t deal with this now, all may be lost.”

The industry isn’t willing to return to the Bad Old Days of Covid shutdowns, so plenty of interim agreements allow for the all-important film festivals, independent productions and daytime programming to continue.

This September’s Emmy Awards look unlikely to proceed on schedule, but Comic-Con conventions can thrive without the presence of celebrities and, just as during the pandemic, there is a seemingly endless supply of content to keep viewers distracted in the meantime.

Interestingly, social media influencers are being warned to avoid any and all situations that hint at studio promotion, lest they be permanently banned from membership in the Screen Actors Guild. One wonders how many TikTok stars consider that a viable threat.

Actors have notoriously gotten the short end of the stick and, even as a SAG-AFTRA member of over four decades, I’m sorry to predict that will be the case with this situation.

The strike will last until the rank and file membership accepts whatever concessions are granted by the studio with false magnanimity.

As actress-turned-filmmaker Alexandra Boyd told me, we are in for a long wait.

“The people [studios] we are dealing with care only about money. The fans and the audience will watch the continually watered-down content they are getting on the streamers while the producers will profit and the actors will all have to find other jobs,” she said.

To many of us, the most fascinating figure in this sad soap opera is SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher, who has seized the moment to reinvent her image from the ditzy bombshell of The Nanny sitcom to one as a ferocious and articulate union leader, unafraid to stand up to corporate greed and call them out for unfairness to her membership body.

A familiar face to TV viewers is my pal, character actor Mark Damon Espinoza, who emailed me to say: “One of the trademarks of a good leader is their ability to light a fire under some asses when the going gets tough. And [Fran] did exactly that. Not just for our union, but for workers across the board who’ve seen working conditions and salaries fizzle while CEOs’ wallets get fatter and fatter.”

In fact, Drescher’s own personal wealth from The Nanny re-runs is a perk that no longer exists under the format of limited series.

Keep in mind that the last time Hollywood actors and writers struck simultaneously was in 1960, when Ronald Reagan was the SAG president and the new medium of television was threatening to derail the finances of the film business.

It eventually worked out then, as it will again, and Tinseltown’s biggest stars soon found themselves grateful for exposure on the small screen.

Reagan’s experience as SAG president helped him win the California Governor’s office in a 1966 landslide. He would, of course, go on to serve two terms as US Commander in Chief. Might a similar path be in store for Fran Drescher – The Nanny for President, 2028?

Nelson Aspen is an award-winning journalist and author. He lives in New York City | @Nelson Aspen