Hollywood Actors Join Writers In Biggest Strike In 63 Years

Leaders of Hollywood’s actors’ union voted Thursday to join screenwriters in the first joint strike in more than six decades, shutting down production across the entertainment industry after talks for a new contract with studios and streaming services broke down, Andrew Dalton and Leslie Ambriz reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Photo Insert: The cast of "Oppenheimer" cut their appearance at the movie's most recent red carpet premiere short to show solidarity.

It’s the first time two major Hollywood unions have been on strike at the same time since 1960, when Ronald Reagan was the Actors’ Guild president. In an impassioned speech as the strike, which begins at midnight, was announced, actors’ union president and former “The Nanny” star Fran Drescher chastised industry executives.

“Employers make Wall Street and greed their priority and they forget about the essential contributors that make the machine run,” Drescher said. “It is disgusting. Shame on them. They stand on the wrong side of history.”

Hours earlier, a three-year contract had expired and talks broke off between the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers representing employers including Disney, Netflix, Amazon and others.

Outside Netflix’s Hollywood offices, picketing screenwriters chanted “Pay Your Actors!” immediately after the strike was declared. Actors will begin picketing alongside writers outside studio headquarters in New York and Los Angeles on Friday.

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