Fashion, in many ways, can express a lot. Whether it’s who you are, what you’re feeling or who you’re supporting, what you wear can be the ultimate vessel of expressing that. And, in Jessica Chastain‘s latest public appearance, she made use of just that by wearing a SAG-AFTRA shirt in support of the recent strikes.
The Scenes From a Marriage star debuted her union-inspired look during the photocall for her upcoming movie Memory at the Venice Film Festival on Friday, Sept 8.
Talking to journalists at the press conference, the actress spoke about her decision to wear the shirt, and her second thoughts before doing so. “I was incredibly nervous to be here today and to come here, and actually there are some people on my team who advised me against it,” the Oscar winner revealed.
“[Actors] are often told and reminded how grateful we should be,” she continued. “And that is the environment that I think has allowed workplace abuse to go unchecked for many decades and is also the environment that has saddled members of our union with unfair contracts.”
In case you’re scratching your head as to why Chastain was allowed to support her movie in a festival like this, the explanation is simple: Memory is part of the interim agreement. For those unfamiliar, these are agreements that allow for independent productions outside the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to film as long as they “abide by the terms,” a statement from SAG-AFTRA details.
“The Interim Agreement gives many of our journeyman performers and crews the opportunity to pay their rent and feed their families,” the statement continued. “This approach maintains our strength, solidarity and upper hand with the AMPTP until they yield to the deal we deserve.”
In Chastain’s statement, she echoed those same sentiments. “It’s what our national board, negotiating committee and our elected leadership has asked us to do,” she said. “And when independent producers like the ones here of these films sign these interim agreements, they are letting the world know, letting the AMPTP know, that actors deserve fair compensation, that AI protection should be implemented, and there should be sharing of streaming revenue.”
Earlier in the festival, Ferrari star Adam Driver also spoke out in support of the actors’ union. “I’m very happy to be here to support this movie, but also I’m very proud to be here, to be a visual representation of a movie that’s not a part of the AMPTP, and to promote the SAG leadership directive – which is an effective tactic – which is the interim agreement,” Driver said, per The Guardian.
“But the other objective is to say, why is it that a smaller distribution company like Neon and STX International can meet the dream demands of what SAG is asking for – this is pre-negotiation, the dream version of SAG’s wishlist – but a big company like Netflix and Amazon can’t?” the actor continued. “And every time people from SAG support a movie that has agreed to these terms, it just makes it more obvious that these people are willing to support the people they collaborate with, and the others are not.”
Looks like actors are using their platforms to speak up of their union, whether it’s on picket lines or in star-studded press conferences.
Before you go, click here to see all the celebrities who supported the SAG-AFTRA & WGA strikes.
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