Thousands of actors will officially go on strikes tarting today as the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists failed to secure a new contract with major studios by the Wednesday midnight deadline.
The union—representing approximately 160,000 TV and film actors, broadcast journalists, and more—claims the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers has been unwilling to offer a fair deal on issues such as pay increases in the era of streaming and regulated use of artificial intelligence. AMPTP—representing major studios like Netflix, Amazon, Disney, and Warner Bros.—responded that the union’s decision to walk away from talks is responsible for the strike, claiming to have offered historic pay increases, among other benefits.
The news comes after the Writers Guild of America went on its first strike in 15 years in May and marks the first time since 1960—when former President Ronald Reagan was the president of SAG—that actors and writers will jointly protest. The strike is projected to halt production on numerous shows and movies.
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