Hollywood's actors could soon join its writers on strike

Hollywood actors may be on the verge of joining screenwriters in what would be the first twounion strike in the industry in more than six decades, with huge consequences for film and television production. Here is a look at how it could play out, and why it's happening.

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH

ACTORS' NEGOTIATIONS?

The contract between the Screen Actors GuildAmerican Federation of Radio and Television Artists and the studios, streaming services and production companies that employ them expired Friday night at midnight. Unionized actors have voted overwhelmingly to authorize their leaders to call a strike when it does. But that's hardly a hard deadline. Both sides have indicated a willingness to talk for what may be several days past the expiration, as happened before resolutions were reached in the same negotiations in 2014 and 2017.

Reports have said the talks have been productive. But some actors have expressed worry that their leaders may not be pushing hard enough. More than 1,000 of them, including Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence and Bob Odenkirk, have added their names to a letter to negotiators saying they are willing to strike and are concerned they are “ready to make sacrifices that leadership is not.” The letter says “this is not a moment to meet in the middle.”

The guild, led by president and former “Nanny” star Fran Drescher, represents more than 160,000 screen actors, stunt performers, broadcast journalists, announcers and hosts, but a strike would involve only actors working on television shows and films.

WHAT DO THE ACTORS

WANT?

Many of the same issues that drove writers to strike are on the table for actors, including what the guilds say is shrinking compensation brought on by a streaming ecosystem in which royalty payments are no longer tethered to the popularity of a film or TV show. A role or a writing credit on a show that became a hit with a long life in reruns is no longer the cash cow that it once was. And the unions say inflation is outpacing the scheduled pay bumps within their contracts.

For both scribes and performers, the move to streaming and its ripple effects have also meant shorter seasons of shows with longer gaps between them, and therefore less work.

And like the writers, actors fear the threat of unregulated use of artificial intelligence. SAG-AFTRA said in a memo to members that the burgeoning ability of AI to recreate the performances of its members is “a real and immediate threat” that it wants to head off.

Issues particular to actors include the new and increasing burden of selftaped auditions — the cost of which used to be the responsibility of casting and productions.

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE WRITERS?

The writers' strike has seen persistent picketing and some major rallies for two months, but so far no movement. There are no current negotiations happening between the strikers and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the studios, streamers and production companies in all the industry's union negotiations.