Hollywood shuts down as actors begin strike

Hollywood actors embarked on strike on Friday after negotiations between their union and motion picture studios collapsed.

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), the union representing over 160,000 Hollywood actors, formally announced a strike on Thursday, joining writers who have already been on strike for weeks.

In a statement, Fran Drescher, president of the union, said after more than four weeks of bargaining, studios and streamers are “unwilling to offer a fair deal.”

Drescher said it will be the first time its members have stopped work on movie and television productions since 1980.

Sag-Aftra also said the industrial action is being held over pay, conditions and concerns over the use of artificial intelligence.

On Friday, union members and their supporters gathered outside the offices of major studios and streaming services in Los Angeles, New York and other cities.

The protests also received the backing of some movie stars — including Matt Damon, Emily Blunt and Cillian Murphy — who left the premiere of their upcoming movie ‘Oppenheimer’ in London.

In May, the Writers Guild of America (WGA), the union representing television and film writers, also went on strike.

The simultaneous strikes are expected to halt the majority of Hollywood’s film and TV production. It will also have a negative impact on the Los Angeles economy.