As labor negotiations between Hollywood’s two main actors guilds and the town’s producers continue at a snail’s pace, actors are starting to speak out about how a Screen Actors Guild strike would affect them, their fellow actors, and the economy. Many bigger-name thesps, such as Amy Brenneman, Ron Livingston, Tom Hanks, Sally Field, Jack Nicholson, and George Clooney have been vocal about the circumstances; some have even circulated petitions. EW.com correspondent Carrie Bell recently talked with Will Smith and several other actors at the premiere of Hancock, and asked them for their thoughts on a potential strike.
Will Smith: “With the writers’ strike and Hollywood having been through this already this year and having lost millions of dollars, [an actors' strike is] just really not a good time for America, for California, or for a lot of people I know and work with. I hope we can come to a resolution all sides are happy with before it comes to that again. If it has to happen, I hope it moves rapidly. But the economy is terrible and we don’t need to be contributing to it.”
Charlize Theron: “I just hope some adult conversation can take place and we can resolve this efficiently and fairly and without having to stop work all over the city and the world.”
Jason Bateman: “Hopefully they will work something out so I
don’t need to do all that reading. I have trouble with the reading, so I
don’t want to do it until I get the papers that call for a vote on the
strike. Plus, I have a project that I am really excited about starting
in August, so I really don’t want that to get held up.”
Jada Pinkett Smith: “I think it is a double-edged sword. I believe
strikes are an effective way to make your point and some things could
stand to be changed in how we do business. But also, the economy doesn’t
need any help getting worse. We have kind of put everything on pause to
see what’s going to happen.”
Virginia Madsen: “I am a member of both SAG and AFTRA. I wasn’t sure
about the decision of AFTRA to go ahead and deal separately, although
there are some different issues on the table for each. But I kind of
feel like there is validity to the strength-in-numbers philosophy. I
just hope that we can come to a healthy, beneficial solution for
everyone involved and when it is done, it is done. We all have to come
to the middle and compromise.” (Reporting by Carrie Bell)
Jason Bateman: "Hopefully they will work something out so Idon’t need to do all that reading. I have trouble with the reading, so Idon’t want to do it until I get the papers that call for a vote on thestrike. Plus, I have a project that I am really excited about startingin August, so I really don’t want that to get held up."
Jada Pinkett Smith: "I think it is a double-edged sword. I believestrikes are an effective way to make your point and some things couldstand to be changed in how we do business. But also, the economy doesn’tneed any help getting worse. We have kind of put everything on pause tosee what’s going to happen."
Virginia Madsen: "I am a member of both SAG and AFTRA. I wasn’t sureabout the decision of AFTRA to go ahead and deal separately, althoughthere are some different issues on the table for each. But I kind offeel like there is validity to the strength-in-numbers philosophy. Ijust hope that we can come to a healthy, beneficial solution foreveryone involved and when it is done, it is done. We all have to cometo the middle and compromise." (Reporting by Carrie Bell)
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greedy greedy people on both sides. what, their mansions aren’t big enough? hollywood producers and stars already make more than they’re worth. they should THINK about the public that’s been shelling out their hard earned money BEFORE they start cutting the pie cause as far as i’m concerned my contribution to that pie might just disappear all together. i already stopped going to the theater cause it’s too costly and now just use netflix or wait for it to come on tv. i think the american public is the group that needs to go on strike.
To those who think the actors are greedy… not all actors are very rich and can afford to go on strike. There are actors who are out of work for most of the year and just work normal jobs like the rest of us.
vw– you’re an uneducated nit-wit.
the dealings sag are fighting for would benefit actors making under 100,00 a year.
shove that mansion up your ass.
Yeah, I was about to say the same thing. The strike’s more for the actors who don’t earn multi millions for every film they do like bankable AAA stars. True, actors/actresses like Will Smith, Julia Roberts and Tom Cruise have no right to complain, but I’m glad they support the D-list actors struggling to make a buck, even with side jobs.
It’s unfortunate that this had to follow months after the writers strike, an event Holywood’s still trying to recover from.
Can’t wait to read the headlines:
Actors Go On Strike, Economy Plummets Further Into Recession
Thanks actors!
If this is about the under $100,000 dollar actors, then these big name mansion living actors need to shut up and get something done instead of just filling the papers and the internet with useless talk. The more they talk the more negative press is circulated and the more the economy suffers because of public fear.
Do any of you even consider what i strike will do to all the people who work in the industry who have no say in what happens to their income. The fact that some waiter or bartender that works a few days a year gets a vote on whether to strike or not is ridiculous. You should read about the whole story and not just comment on an actor who makes under 100k because most are more like 10k and dont make their living working in the industry
I am a waitress in LA and I work at a restaurant very close to all the studios. The writers strike hurt me financially and I don’t even want to think about what an actor’s strike would do. If the studios get shut down, that is going to affect a lot more people then just actors and crew members. I supported the writers strike and I can see where SAG and AFTRA are coming from, but they need to do anything and everything possible to prevent a strike.
A huge majority of SAG members make under $10,000 a year, part time. I agree that it’s ludicrous for them to control the majority position vote over whether to strike or accept a contract.
The A-list actors negotiate their own contracts and are rarely affected by SAG provisions. Some of them remember their early struggles and are sympathetic to the middle class actors, but most have lost touch with their hungry days, and have financial security. They ought to stay quiet and let the $10,000 to $100,000 yearly income actors speak for themselves, and their economic interests.
I supported the WGA strike, but given how much solidarity SAG showed with WGA at that time, how can SAG turn around now and say they deserve a better deal than the writers got? Hello, didn’t the actors spend all that time talking about how they’d be nothing without the writers? So why can’t they agree to the same deal and let everyone get on with their work.
During the writers strike, I know of two cleaners, one bakery, and four catering companies that had to close their doors. It doesn’t affect just Hollywood it hurts everyone. The actors that are in the 10,000 to 30,000 dollar bracket also have other jobs, but lost those when it wasn’t busy enough because of the economy. So I hope they think really hard before this happens to Calif again.
I do hope there isnt another strike with these hard times. If the actors strike, perhaps the fans should fight back and boycott the movies. These actors make plenty of money. It is time that they to should start cutting back and stop thinking that they are high and almighty. You guys are human just like me. Start acting like one!
You know, it PISSES ME OFF! Actors and actresses attend so many awards ceramonies, get paid more than 99.9% of the people in the world and now they want more? They think they are SOOO important, but do you know who put them there? WE DID, the TV & MOVIE viewers. We should TAKE THEM BACK, make them sell their multi million dollar mansions (they even make money showwing off their mansions by showing them on t.v.!!)and make them have to get a REAL job for a living. I HAVE NO SYMPATHY FOR THEM! Especially Jay Leno and all his cars, and Ellen Degeneres who thinks she’s funny, but is nothing more than someone who knows a lot of big names. C’Mon America!!! When you vote this November, make (and stick) to your decision to pull these actors back down from the cotton candy cloud they live on!!!!! We should take action before they strike by stopping the wasteful time of T.V. and Movie viewing! GO READ A BOOK (just like your Mother told you..after all, Mom is ALWAYS right!!
THE ANSWER IS FOR THE PARTIES TO SUBMIT THEIR POSITIONS AND THE ISSUES LEFT TO BINDING NON-APPEALABLE ARBITRATION, WITH A DEADLINE OF 30 WORKING DAYS OF EVIDENCE, BEFORE THREE RETIRED JUDGES OF CALIFORNIA SELECTED BY STIPULATION IF POSSIBLE OR BY PICKING 3 AT RANDOM FROM THE 6 EACH SIDE SUBMITS. THE WORK CAN GO ON AND THE RESULT WOULD BE A DECISION GOOD FOR THREE YEARS. MEANWHILE THE WORK GOES ON. A strike is unnecessary and would cost billions. Working people and small vendors would be hurt the most as in the writers’ strike with over 2 billion dollars lost.
How many people must suffer over this? How many children would have to move because their parents cannot afford to stay in their homes, pay the mortgages, car payments, or even food for the pantry? HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE WOULD LOSE EVERYTHING?
ENOUGH ALREADY. ARBITRATE IT AND GET IT DONE!
When you think of the strike don’t just think of name actors seeking bigger paydays and cigar smoking executives being too greedy to share the wealth. Movies and Television productions effects so many hard working men and women at all levels. The credits that run shows the hundreds of people involved in making just one movie from electricians, carpenters, makeup, camera loaders, grips, transportation sections, musicians, film cutters and on and on. Then the vendors who rent stuff to the studios including but not limited to wardrobe, trailers, trucks, cars, hotel rooms, and even homes to film in. The local hotels restaurants and waiters and waitresses, small business owners, caterers all rely on a vibrant industry. We are talking about hundreds of thousands of jobs and in total close to fifty billion dollars in spending.
So we are not talking about punishing anyone but these people who need the money to meet their expenses.
NO STRIKE PLEASE..ARBITRATE.
I hope there isn’t a strike my job depends on it. But to be fair to actors, it is not the Will Smith’s or Julia Roberts of the world who make millions the union is trying to defend. Its the average everyday Joe who although is an actor is just a working stiff. They don’t make millions and are just trying to eek out a living. The “Struggling Actor” term comes from somewhere. 80% of the SAG are just such struggling actors.
I just hope that it doesn’t come to a strike. Fans are also going to be affected. Actors wouldn’t have any work at all if it wasn’t for fans going to see the movies and watching the tv shows.
First, SAG and AFTRA should have merged decades ago. Remember, strength in numbers? What is the difference between the two unions with the convergence of media technology? NOTHING. Also, the majority of actors earn very little. When you hear about 20 million dollar actor contracts one begins to wonder what has happened to the industry. Yes, the producers are trying to cheat the actors; that’s a given. But, how can a star making multi-millions on a single film convince me they represent the interests of an actor that needs a day job to survive?
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