Earlier this week, SAG-AFTRA organized an impressive star-studded rally set to take place in Manhattan’s Times Square, featuring prominent NYC A-listers like Bryan Cranston, Christine Baranski, and Matt Bomer as the leading figures.
Dubbed “Rock the City for a Fair Contract,” the rally kicked off at the Times Square Pedestrian Plaza at 9:30 a.m. ET. Joining the stars of Your Honor, The Good Fight, and Showtime’s upcoming Fellow Travelers, other notable attendees listed in the release include Lauren Ambrose from Yellowjackets, Steve Buscemi, Tituss Burgess, Liza Colón-Zayas, Gregory Diaz, Jennifer Ehle, Nancy Giles, Danai Gurrira, Jill Hennessy, Marin Hinkle, Stephen Lang, Arian Moayed, Wendell Pierce, Christian Slater, Corey Stoll, and Merritt Wever.
Notable SAG-AFTRA figures like national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, secretary-treasurer Joely Fisher, New York president Ezra Knight, and executive director of New York local, labor policy, and international affairs Rebecca Damon were also present at the rally.
Additionally, esteemed local labor leaders, including Lowell Peterson, WGAE executive director, Mario Cilento, NYS AFL-CIO president, and Vincent Alvarez, NYC CLC president, joined the event.
REELated:
Bryan Cranston Calls out Bob Iger
Emmy-winning actor Bryan Cranston addressed a gathering of striking Hollywood actors and directed his comments at Walt Disney Co Chief Executive Bob Iger, following recent tensions between the company and the SAG-AFTRA actors union.
Iger had sparked controversy by dismissing the union’s demands for a labor contract that included higher pay and limitations on the use of artificial intelligence as “unreasonable.”
Taking the stage in Times Square, New York, near Disney’s ABC News studio, Cranston delivered a message to Mr. Iger: “I know, sir, that you view things through a different lens. We don’t expect you to fully understand who we are, but we plead with you to listen to us. Specifically, to understand that we won’t tolerate losing our jobs to robots.”
The concern among actors is that Hollywood studios might exploit their digital images without consent or replace them with synthetic actors created through AI technology in movies and TV shows.
SAG-AFTRA members initiated a strike on July 14, joining forces with film and television writers, marking the first dual work stoppage in Hollywood in over six decades.
Among the union’s requests are measures to ensure studios seek permission before using a star’s digital likeness, and demands for better pay, citing reduced earnings due to the rise of streaming television.
Cranston continued, “We refuse to let you strip away our right to work and earn a decent living. Most importantly, we won’t allow you to compromise our dignity.”
As of now, there has been no response from a spokesperson for Iger regarding Cranston’s remarks.
The rally came after SAG-AFTRA’s decision on July 13 to join the Writers Guild of America (WGA) on the picket line, striking against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). Their demands center around fair streaming revenues for actors, increased compensation that keeps up with inflation rates, and comprehensive industry-wide safeguards against the use of generative artificial intelligence.
For more in-depth coverage of Reel 360 News’ reporting on the Hollywood strike, you can click here.
