Bob Iger has dug into a nice little public relations hole after commenting on the SAG-AFTRA strike demands. It is most likely a well-furnished hole full of money — maybe a yacht, but a hole nonetheless. The ongoing actors’ union strike has shut down Hollywood, increasing tensions between studio executives and the industry. Some actors have had little more to say to Iger than offering up some strong language.
An Out-Of-Touch Bob Iger
Bob Iger has received harsh pushback due to his comments on the actors’ strike. The Disney CEO called the demands of SAG-AFTRA “unrealistic” and “disturbing.” He cited the idea that studios are still recovering from the issues brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and said now is the worst time to cause further disruptions. He further stressed that these demands are “just not realistic.”
Billy Porter is the latest to have some opinions on Bob Iger’s out-of-touch comments. Porter is a prominent LGBTQ+ actor who rose to fame through his role as Pray Tell in the FX television series Pose, which premiered in 2018. He has received critical acclaim for his performances and has won several awards, including an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role in Pose. He is also a respected figure in the fashion world and often makes bold and stylish choices on the red carpet.
Porter has since appeared in Sony Pictures’ Cinderella (2021) and several others while developing his music and theater career. The actor is known for crushing societal norms with little concern for what people think about him, and he also has no problem slamming Iger.
Billy Porter Criticizes Bob Iger
Porter has news for fans who believe he and the strikers are “millionaires trying to get more millions.” He reveals that most of them, including himself, do not make what he calls “f***-you money” and live paycheck to paycheck. This has increased by streaming cutting into consistent revenue for actors, which often amounts to laughably low residuals. He told Evening Standard:
Yeah! Because we’re on strike. And I don’t know when we’re gonna go back [to work]. The life of an artist, until you make f***-you money — which I haven’t made yet — is still cheque-to-cheque. I was supposed to be in a new movie, and on a new television show starting in September. None of that is happening. So to the person who said ‘we’re going to starve them out until they have to sell their apartments. You’ve already starved me out.”
Porter also admits that he has to sell his house because he isn’t sure when the strike will end. The reality of the situation has caused him to tell Evening Standard his only words for Bob Iger are “f*** you.”
The actor has become enraged over Iger’s complete lack of self-awareness. This is further fueled by rumors that Iger might be the anonymous Hollywood executive that stated the industry would wait out the SAG-AFTRA strike until its members are homeless and desperate. Porter kept his words to himself because he realized his response to Iger was useless. However, he is not afraid to call out the situation:
To hear Bob Iger say that our demands for a living wage are unrealistic? While he makes $78,000 a day?
Porter joins several other prominent actors who have criticized Bob Iger. Fran Drescher, the president of SAG, has called his comments “repugnant.” Since then, many more have added to the intense feedback. Iger has yet to respond to the criticism.
