The Hollywood actors’ union went on strike at midnight Thursday after failed contract negotiations with production firms.
The Screen Actors Guild, which represents around 160,000 performers in film and television, tweeted a black image with the message: “That’s a wrap!”
SAG-AFTRA had issued a strike order after final negotiations with studios failed to reach an agreement about declining wages and the danger presented by artificial intelligence.
“All of us face the risk of being displaced by technology and large corporations.”
After their requests for improved compensation and guarantees regarding the use of artificial intelligence were not met, writers have already spent 11 weeks protesting outside the headquarters of companies like Disney and Netflix.
The schedules of movie studios have already started to change, and if the strikes continue, significant movie releases may follow.
Actors who are members of SAG-AFTRA range from A-list celebrities like Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, and Glenn Close to day players who play minor roles on television shows.
The actors’ union last went on strike in 1980, and that one lasted for more than three months.
This time, nearly 98% of members decided to pre-approve industrial action in the event that an agreement could not be reached.
Although the amount of films and television shows now in production has already been significantly reduced due to the writers’ strike, nearly everything is shut down during an actors’ walkout.
On the picket line in New York on Thursday, performer Jennifer Van Dyck said, “I feel sad, it’s painful, but it’s necessary.”
