Fran Drescher fired up her base today in a speech outlining strike plans.
The Nanny star said that she was “shocked” by the way that studio execs are treating actors. “I cannot believe it, quite frankly, how far apart we are on so many things. It is disgusting. Shame on them. They stand on the wrong side of history.”
She added that actors can’t keep being “marginalized, disrespected, and dishonored” by a business model that has been changed by streaming. “If we don’t stand tall right now, we are all going to be in trouble. We are all going to be in jeopardy of being replaced by machines and big business,” she added.
Jessica Chastain was among the supporters. She said that technology has changed the industry in an IndieWire interview.
“But difficult things like contracts haven’t kept up with the innovations that have been made, resulting in huge inequality, people not able to earn a fair wage and support families. The industry has been so separated in terms of who is able to make a living and who isn’t. This can’t continue anymore. My heart breaks.”
Josh Gad said he was “very proud and impressed” by the Drescher speech in a Twitter post. Riley Keough echoed that on social media, saying, “I feel proud to stand in solidarity with my fellow film community, like my second family. I love this community so much and I love the support within this community, and I’m hoping for a resolution soon.” And Margot Robbie said she would be willing to join her fellow actors on the picket lines.
Daniel Radcliffe summed it up in a note to Vanity Fair: He wrote, “nobody wants these things to happen—but I think they’re incredibly necessary for the way the industry is going. Technology has changed so much about the industry in the last 10 years, it feels like it’s absolutely time. There will need to be a recalibration in order for everybody to work still, to be able to attract great people to the industry, great writers and great actors.”
Watch the Drescher speech above.
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SAG-AFTRA Strike
