Hollywood stars support actor’s strike during gathering in Times Square

Several prominent faces from the American cinema and television industry, including "Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston, expressed their support for Hollywood actors who have been on strike for about two weeks. 

Cranston addressed a large gathering in New York's famous Times Square on Tuesday, where he spoke about his concerns regarding artificial intelligence. He stood before a crowd of strikers and supporters who had assembled in the iconic Broadway area, stating, "We will not allow our jobs to be replaced by robots."

Cranston, donning a shirt representing the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), with a raised fist emblem, sent a message to Disney's CEO Bob Iger, who has been targeted for action, saying, "We won't accept being deprived of our rights to work and earn a decent living."

The star of "Breaking Bad," which has left a significant mark on television history, concluded his speech with the words, "In short, we won't let you take away our dignity."

Amidst the giant screens of Times Square, often showcasing promotional videos for new productions from streaming platforms, F. Murray Abraham, known for his roles in "Amadeus" (winner of the Best Actor Oscar in 1984), as well as the TV series "The White Lotus" and "Homeland," emphasized the importance of the labor movement, describing it as "beneficial to the United States."

The gathering also included other celebrities such as Kristin Chenoweth, Chloë Grace Moretz, Steve Buscemi, Brendan Fraser, Christian Slater, and Lisa Colon-Zayas, known for her role in "The Purge," as well as Jessica Chastain. The latter expressed her anger on July 18 via Twitter about "87% of SAG members earning less than $26,000 a year" and being denied health insurance coverage.

Jason Sudeikis, the star of "Ted Lasso," also participated in one of the protests last week.

Nearly 160,000 American television and film actors began a strike on July 14, adding to the ongoing strike by screenwriters for weeks. This dual social movement has caused the worst paralysis in the sector in over 60 years.

Actors and screenwriters are demanding an increase in their wages, which have seen stagnation during the era of streaming platforms. They also seek guarantees regarding the use of artificial intelligence to prevent the technology from creating texts or cloning their voices and images.

As part of the strike, members of the guild, including actors and workers in the film and television industry, are refraining from participating in any form of promotion for any work, whether in premieres, festivals, or on social media, significantly disrupting Hollywood.



AFP