SAG-AFTRA actors have been on strike for the last three months, but there may be some A-list actors who are growing weary of being out of work. George Clooney, Tyler Perry, Emma Stone, Ben Affleck, and Scarlett Johansson reportedly led a group of 15 celebrities who met with the union’s negotiating committee with a proposal to help end the strike with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
The sticking point between SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP is reportedly the residuals structure for streaming networks, so Clooney and his Hollywood pals had an interesting idea that uplifts the working-class actor. According to Variety, they brought to the Zoom meeting “a bottom-up residual structure whereby top earners would be the last to collect residuals rather than the first.” In addition, they high-wattage stars would pay more in dues each year to “bring more than $50 million to the union annually.”
SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher and executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland didn’t seem as receptive to the idea as the actors hoped and they reputedly left the conference call “feeling dejected,” according to the media outlet’s source. “They don’t understand why there isn’t just a mediation.” However, David Jolliffe, a member of the negotiating committee for the actors’ union thinks that there are more layers to the story since some of the ideas weren’t relevant to the current contract negotiations.
“I’ll reach out to George to talk to him,” Jolliffe said. “We appreciate everybody’s help. Everybody has ideas. But we’ve been doing this for almost a year now.” It sounds like a “thanks, but no thanks” message right now as the SAG-AFTRA strike continues on without an end in sight.
Before you go, click here to see all the celebrities who supported the SAG-AFTRA & WGA strikes.
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