Disney Actor Is Set on Fire as SAG Strike Continues

It’s been more than two weeks since Hollywood’s largest acting union — SAG-AFTRA — announced that they were going on strike. The strike began on July 14, and actors joined thousands of Hollywood writers on the picket lines. The WGA had been on strike since May, and it was the first time in more than 60 years that the two largest unions had been on strike at the same time. The writers and actors have been protesting across the country and in front of major studios, including Universal, Paramount, and Disney.

SAG-AFTRA is a massive union that has more than 160,000 members. At a recent rally, one of those members decided to light himself on fire, telling the studios that the actors were “tired of being burned.” That actor was Indiana Jones stuntman, Mike Massa. Massa has been a stunt performer in a number of hit Hollywood films, and has been Harrison Ford’s personal stunt double in a number of films and television shows, including Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, 1923, and Blade Runner: 2049. He was also a stunt coordinator on Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens and performed utility stunts on Captain America: Winter Soldier.

Video of Massa’s carefully orchestrated performance was shared by actress Elena Sanchez. Sanchez has appeared in many Hollywood productions, including The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Walking Dead, and Texas Chainsaw.

We are tired of being burned by the AMPTP.

 

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A post shared by Elena Sanchez (@theelenasanchez)

A few days after the original post, Sanchez shared a follow-up post of all the coverage Massa’s protest had gotten. In the comments, Massa made it clear that he did not light himself on fire. He had a team behind him who helped him perform the stunt and kept him safe.

We love the publicity but just to be clear: I did NOT set myself on fire. I had an amazing fire safety team that prepped me, fueled me, lit me, and safely put me out just like we do in film and television. Please do not try this unless you are a trained professional with a professional team. 🙌🏻 👍🏻

One of the major issues at the heart of the SAG strike is the issue of residuals. With the rise of streaming, residuals have tanked, with some actors receiving checks for zero dollars for their work. Studios, on the other hand, are continuing to make money as the shows stream. SAG is asking for the studios to be more transparent about its streaming numbers, and they want new contracts that will address streaming residuals. The studios are fighting back against streaming residuals.