The actors' strike has officially commenced with the cast of Oppenheimer walking out of the London premiere in solidarity on Thursday. And in another headline-hitting moment, American Actress Fran Drescher – aka the president of the SAG-AFTRA Union – has gone viral for condemning Hollywood studios in a fiery speech. Want to learn more about the movie legend leading the actor's strike? Here's what you need to know about Fran Drescher…
Who is Fran Drescher?
Born in Queens, New York, Fran Drescher is an American actress, comedian, writer, activist, and trade union leader. After landing her debut role in the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever, she went on to appear in American Hot Wax (1978), Stranger in Our House (1978) and The Hollywood Knights (1980).
MORE: SAG-AFTRA: Hollywood shuts down as actors go on strike
READ: Emily Blunt reveals why Oppenheimer cast walked out of London premiere
Among her most celebrated roles, the actress famously starred as Fran Fine in the television sitcom The Nanny (1993-95), which she created and produced with her former husband Peter Marc Jacobson. The show bagged her two Emmy Award nominations and she also received two Golden Globe nominations for her performance.
More recently, Fran has had a recurring role in Adam Sandler's Hotel Transylvania film series, in which she voices Eunice. As of September 2021, she is the third president of the SAG-AFTRA Union.
What is the SAG-AFTRA Union?
SAG-AFTRA is comprised of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
According to SAG-AFTRA's official website, the union "represents approximately 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other media professionals."
Ultimately, the union's aim is "to secure the strongest protections for media artists into the 21st century and beyond."
What has Fran Drescher said about the actors' strike?
On Thursday 13 July, Fran announced that actors within the union would be going on strike.
Delivering a passionate speech during a SAG-AFTRA news conference, she said: "We are the victims here. We are being victimized by a very greedy entity. I am shocked by the way the people that we have been in business with are treating us. I cannot believe it, quite frankly: How far apart we are on so many things. How they plead poverty, that they're losing money left and right, when giving hundreds of millions of dollars to their CEOs. It is disgusting. Shame on them. They stand on the wrong side of history at this very moment. We stand in solidarity, in unprecedented unity."
She added: "The jig is up, AMPTP. We stand tall. You have to wake up and smell the coffee. We are labor and we stand tall and we demand respect and to be honored for our contribution. You share the wealth because you can not exist without us."
Why are actors on strike?
The actor's strike follows the WGA strike, also known as the writers' strike, which commenced earlier this year. Effectively, both actors and writers are seeking better pay and new protections from Hollywood studios.
In a statement released by Fran on July 13, the actress explained: "After more than four weeks of negotiations, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) — the entity that represents major studios and streamers, including Amazon, Apple, Disney, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount, Sony, and Warner Bros Discovery — remains unwilling to offer a fair deal on the key issues that you told us are important to you."
Ultimately, the next few weeks will see actors and writers coming together on the picket lines, where they will continue to call for better pay.