Prominent Hollywood Stars Donate Millions to Support Striking Actors: A Solidarity Fund Update

A dozen of Hollywood’s most famous and wealthy stars, from George Clooney to Meryl Streep, have each donated $1 million or more to support striking American actors, their union’s solidarity fund said Wednesday.

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In the wake of the scriptwriters’ social movement that began in early May, the actors in turn went on strike in mid-July to demand better pay and guarantees regarding the use of artificial intelligence.

With this double social movement, unprecedented since 1960, almost all film and series production is at a standstill in the United States.

Listen to the chronicle of Pascale Robitaille, journalist at TVA Nouvelles via QUB radio :

Besides George Clooney and Meryl Streep, other celebrities like Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Dwayne Johnson, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts or Oprah Winfrey have each contributed US$1 million (C$1.34 million) or more to the Actors Guild Support Fund (SAG-AFTRA).

AFP

The foundation that manages the fund said in a statement that it has raised a total of more than US$15 million (approximately C$20 million) over the past three weeks, earmarked for thousands of “day-to-day performers” in financial difficulty due to lack of filming.

“The entertainment industry is in crisis and the SAG-AFTRA Foundation is currently processing 30 times more requests for emergency assistance than usual,” said the statement from the president of this non-profit foundation, Courtney Vance.

Getty Images via AFP

This assistance aims to ensure that “actors in need do not lose their homes, can pay their expenses, buy food for their families, obtain life-saving medicines, pay their doctor’s bills and much more” , he adds.

While some actors are extremely well paid, 86% of the union’s 160,000 members earn less than US$26,500 (C$35,510) a year, according to figures given by SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher, quoted by the New York Times.

2023-08-03 20:52:04
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