On July 14, tens of thousands of Hollywood actors went on strike, effectively shutting down most of the film and television industry. The strike comes just two months after Hollywood writers also went on strike. According to the Screen Actors Guild, its members are striking because they are tired of studios raking in billions in profit, while they get taken advantage of. SAG is trying to negotiate for better residuals, which have seen a massive drop because of streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu. They also want to reshape how actors are paid in general, as well as how they pay into their health insurance.
Just before the actors went on strike, Disney CEO Bob Iger sat down with CNBC’s Squawkbox and spoke about the failed negotiations. During the interview, Iger said that the Guild’s demands were not “realistic”. He also said that the strike was “very disturbing” because studios are still trying to figure out how to come back from COVID. Iger’s remarks went over like a lead balloon, and he has been getting a ton of backlash.
It should be noted that Iger gave the interview from the Sun Valley Conference in Idaho, which has become known as “Billionaire’s Summer Camp.” And before he returned to Disney as CEO, Iger was enjoying his retirement by sailing to exotic locations on his private yacht. Many found it hypocritical that a man worth approximately $350 million would call SAG’s demands unrealistic.
One of the people who was less than impressed by Iger’s comments was SAG President Fran Drescher, best known for her starring role in The Nanny. Drescher recently spoke with Variety and called Iger’s statements “repugnant.”
“I found them terribly repugnant and out of touch,” Drescher told Variety from the picket line. “Positively tone deaf. I don’t think it served him well.”
“If I were that company, I would lock him behind doors and never let him talk to anybody about this, because it’s so obvious that he has no clue as to what is really happening on the ground with hard-working people that don’t make anywhere near the salary he is making,” she said. “High seven figures, eight figures, this is crazy money that they make, and they don’t care — they’re like land barons of a medieval time.”
At this time, it doesn’t seem like either the WGA or SAG strikes will end anytime soon. Both sides are refusing to bend, but SAG and the WGA seem to have the upper hand, as most of Hollywood will struggle to function without the actors and writers.
