In Hollywood, support for American actors on strike since mid-July has not weakened. “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.
“We will stand strong and united against these powerful corporations determined to strip humanity, human dignity and even the human from our profession,” actress Meryl Streep said in a statement. Other celebrities such as Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Dwayne Johnson, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts or Oprah Winfrey have also each contributed 1 million dollars (920,000 euros) or more to the actors’ guild support fund (SAG-AFTRA ).
The foundation that manages this fund said in a press release that it had raised a total of more than 15 million dollars (13.7 million euros) in the last three weeks, intended for thousands of “day-to-day actors” in financial difficulty for lack of filming.
In the wake of the scriptwriters’ social movement that began in early May, the actors in turn went on strike last month to demand better pay and guarantees regarding the use of artificial intelligence. A movement that paralyzes Hollywood, and shuts down almost all film and series production.
“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. Likewise, 400 new applications for financial aid have been received over the past week, reports the Los Angeles Times.
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. “It’s a daunting challenge, but we’re determined to get there.”
If some actors are extremely well paid, 86% of the 160,000 members of the union earn less than 26,500 dollars (24,000 euros) per year, according to figures given by the president of SAG-AFTRA Fran Drescher, quoted by the New York Times.