As the SAG-AFTRA strike forges on with no end in sight, major A-List actors such as Nicole Kidman, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, George Clooney, and others have made an impressive group effort to support struggling actors.
The actors strike first went into effect July 14, when the union's contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) expired. Actors are largely concerned with their residuals from streaming platforms and AI usage.
Now, after Courtney B. Vance, president of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation – an independent charity not part of, but associated with SAG-AFTRA – wrote a letter to 2,700 of the union's highest-earning actors, the foundation has raised over $15 million for their emergency financial assistance program.
Leading the way was Dwayne Johnson, who last week it was announced made "the largest single donation" the fund has ever received "from one individual at one time."
Since, actors such as George and Nicole, plus Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Hugh Jackman and more are among the other high-profile actors who have donated at least $1 million or more to the fund.
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Fellow stars such as Blake Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, Ben and JLo, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey, and Arnold Schwarzenegger were also revealed to have made donations of $1 million or more.
In a statement Courtney – who is married to Oscar-winning actress Angela Bassett – said: "Thanks to the support of some of Hollywood's top-earning stars, the foundation is preparing to bring aid and hope to thousands of journeymen actors facing tremendous economic hardship."
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He noted the fund has been hit with around 400 applications in the last week, over 30 times more applications for emergency aid than usual.
In her own statement, Meryl, who has been working in Hollywood since the early 1970s, said: "I remember my days as a waiter, cleaner, typist, even my time on the unemployment line," adding: "In this strike action, I am lucky to be able to support those who will struggle in a long action to sustain against Goliath.
"We will stand strong together against these powerful corporations who are bent on taking the humanity, the human dignity, even the human out of our profession. I am proudest of my fellow actors who have immediately offered to fund the Emergency Financial Assistance Program."
In his own statement, George said: "We've stood on the shoulders of the likes of Bette Davis and Jimmy Cagney and it's time for our generation to give something back."
He added: "I can't thank Courtney enough for his determination in putting this effort together by shedding light on the human toll happening right now, and how we can work together to alleviate some of the pain and suffering."
Appearing on the Today Show yesterday, SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher warned the strike could go on for a while, as she said: "We have financially prepared ourselves for the next six months. And we're really in it to win it."