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After 118 days, the SAG-AFTRA strike is finally over and it’s the actors’ union president, Fran Drescher, who is being praised for her leadership. She came in with an unconventional style, but it seems to have impressed the creatives she represented during a very contentious time in Hollywood.
She was teased for “bringing a heart-shaped plushie into the negotiating room,” but it disarmed the male executives she was often fighting against, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Drescher even pushed back on the somewhat impatient A-list stars, including George Clooney and Scarlett Johansson, who tried to submit their own proposal to end the strike. While she appreciated their invested energy in the fight, Drescher had to worry more about the middle-class actor, who has seen their income drop significantly over the years as streaming network residuals dwindled.
There was even reported infighting on the negotiating committee which often created a “toxic environment,” but Drescher never doubted herself even if others did. Even while studio sources found her to be a powerful force in the boardroom, they didn’t think she would deliver the deal to the 160,000 members of SAG-AFTRA — the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) was convinced their side would win. “She made a political movement of this thing, and now she’s got to [deliver],” one studio insider said, unconvinced the actors would get the contract they were asking for.
In the end, it might have been Drescher’s empathy that was most effective. She made sure “everybody feels like they matter,” according to committee member Shaan Sharma and that might have worn down the AMPTP in the end. After 118 days, Drescher got the deal done.
Before you go, click here to see all the celebrities who supported the SAG-AFTRA & WGA strikes.
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