Strikers dressed in Bridgerton costumes were joined by Rachel McAdams and the succession stars to picket lines outside Netflix and Warner Bros on Tuesday, using the eviction to promote “reasonable” union demands around pay and artificial intelligence.
Star-studded picket lines came out for the fifth day of SAG-AFTRA strikes and the 79th day of an industry strike by the Writers Guild of America, in the largest industry strike in 60 years.
Tell McAdams, who plays Regina George on Mean Girls Delivery timekisa: I’m here to support unions. I think what they are asking for is completely within reason, nothing excessive.
TV and film workers came to Netflix headquarters on “Bridgerton Day” dressed in Regency style to draw attention to the cause.
Alan Ruck and Justin Loeb, who play Connor and Willa in HBO’s Succession, said AI and health insurance were major concerns for the actors and writers as they joined the sit-down outside Warner Bros. Studios.
“No AI, convenient payment,” Rock said, “it’s just corporate. They’re like, “More work for less pay.”
It’s like if you have a writers’ room of a dozen people, and they say ‘No, we’re going to hire four people and then hire a few more and expect the same amount of work. That’s wrong.’
‘The fact that this high percentage of our union can’t even get insurance because we can’t make a living that way,’ said Justine Loeb.
There are people who used to be character actors or people who could come in for a few episodes a year and make a decent living and feel like they could be like floating through a year and having their insurance now can’t make enough money just get basic healthcare.
So it tells you a lot about how bleak the situation is and how many actors have become frozen at their ability to be in the field.
Other participants include Golden Globe-winning actress Mira Sorvino, with her family, and film and music director Mike Mills.
Actress Chaley Rose, best known for her role as Zoey on the ABC drama series Nashville, has also moved to the picket line outside of the Netflix studios.
Dozens of people turned into picket lines outside the Netflix studios. Bridgerton has broken records as the most watched English-language series on Netflix – striking workers are now wearing its costume to prove the viewer’s point.
Another sit-down outside of Disney saw the cast and writers of the medical show appear.
Among them is Fame and Grey’s Anatomy star Debbie Allen, who said she’s been amazing at improving the availability of health insurance and helping to further protect jobs surrounding AI.
Things change, innovation happens, we have to keep moving with the times and our union is guiding us in a way that I think is right and we have to stand up for everyone. Not just for our individual selves, but for everyone, she told Deadline.
“We know the studios have their agenda and God bless them and I think they’re good people, but right now this is a real situation that needs to change.”
Famous actors also appeared in New York to show their support for the strikes, with Bette Midler pictured on the picket line.
Crossroads star Anson Mount is also seen at the SAG-AFTRA attack outside the Paramount Building in Times Square.
Hollywood screenwriters and television writers have been on strike since May 2 after their union allowed the strike amid concerns about the use of artificial intelligence, the flow of tailings, and other pressing issues.
Strikes also took place outside major studios, including Warner Bros., Disney, Paramount and Netflix in Los Angeles on Monday, though two were cut due to “extreme heat.”
Busy Phillips, Awkwafina, Nina Dobrev, and David Boreanaz were photographed holding signs and marching in solidarity with the other actors and writers.
Kevin Bacon filmed himself in the midst of the protest in a chorus that chanted: ‘Actors and writers unite. We have to win this battle.
Bacon, who starred in 1984’s Footloose, was filmed in New York, where the cast also picketed the offices of HBO, Amazon, Warner Bros, Netflix, Paramount and NBC Universal on Monday.
“Walks the line in solidarity with my fellow SAG-AFTRA members,” he wrote on Twitter, and shared a video of himself cheering with other union members.
Work began Friday morning after contract negotiations between the Sag-Aftra actors’ union (Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) broke down.
Star Lizzie McGuire Duff, 35, was photographed at a sit-down in Los Angeles on Monday, and later posted a selection of photos from outside Paramount Pictures Studios.
‘There…with my girls.’ We stand with our union! Let’s go!
Community star Danny Pudi was also outside Paramount Studios, following in the footsteps of his co-star Jim Rash, who showed up on Friday.
“We are here supporting the union in working on a fair contract,” he said, adding, “(There are) a lot of issues on the table, and it’s good to be here to support the union.”
Award-winning Better Call Saul actor Bob Odenkirk shared a photo of himself outside Warner Bros. Studios, with child actress Rosario Dawson also appearing at Paramount.
‘I’ve been a Sag-Aftra member since 1988,’ said Odenkirk, ‘and we have to do it now, and we have to do it right so we don’t have to do it for another 20 years. Let’s do it right, wait there.
