As actors and writers proceed to strike, demanding a justifiable share of the billions that movie and TV studios rake in yearly, George Clooney is among the many A-list “megastars” who’ve to date stayed away from the picket strains for a doable mixture of causes which might be being mentioned and debated in Hollywood.
Clooney voiced early assist for the strike by SAG-AFTRA, issuing a strongly worded assertion the day after the 160,000-member actors union voted on July 13 to cease work on movie and TV productions. “That is an inflection level in our business,” Clooney stated. “For our business to outlive that has to vary. For actors, that journey begins now.”
However over the previous week, Clooney hasn’t regarded like a employee whose union is on strike. Clooney, who’s value an estimated $500 million, has been seen in Italy, having fun with elegant dinner dates along with his legal professional spouse Amal Clooney at eating places in Lake Como, the place he owns an 18th-century trip villa, Web page Six reported.
Amal Clooney Sparkles in Silver Throughout Date Evening with Husband George Clooney on Lake Como https://t.co/l7S15ysIZF
— Individuals (@folks) July 28, 2023
In the meantime, Brad Pitt discovered time to benefit from the males’s closing at Wimbledon on July 16, together with members of the British royal household and different celebrities. The looks by Pitt on the high-profile tennis match left one main Hollywood publicist dismayed, in line with a report by Selection that was revealed Monday. If Pitt didn’t wish to be part of the entrance strains, the publicist steered that he may nonetheless “throw on a SAG-AFTRA shirt” at locations on the place he is aware of he will likely be photographed to point out his assist.
The reluctance of some top-tier stars to stroll the picket strains has rankled some SAG-AFTRA members, in line with the Selection report. There’s been a “palpable” lack of headliners, one distinguished SAG-AFTRA member stated. “If our stars had been all on the market in drive advocating for us, we’d comprehend it,” the individual added.
On the primary day of the strike, one protester straddled a median on the gate of Netflix headquarters, holding an indication that learn, “The place the (expletive) is Ben Affleck?” So far, Affleck hasn’t been seen at any of the protests, Selection reported.
Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence and Rami Malek all signed a June letter telling union management they had been ready to strike, however none have but surfaced, Selection stated. Like Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio additionally issued a press release expressing assist for the strike, writing on Instagram story that he stood “in solidarity with my guild.” However like Clooney, DiCaprio additionally has but to make a private look.
Maybe that’s as a result of DiCaprio additionally has been busy on trip in Europe. The “Titanic” star was photographed this week sunning himself on a luxurious yacht that’s been crusing across the Mediterranean, with stops in St. Tropez and Sardinia, Hollywood Life reported. DiCaprio, with a internet value of round $300 million, additionally took a while away from yachting to affix Mick Jagger for his eightieth celebration at a London nightclub on Wednesday night time, Leisure Tonight reported.
Over the previous week, another award winners and nominees have made the hassle to show up in individual at protests in Los Angeles and New York. Actors carrying indicators or talking out in assist of the guild have included Collin Farrell, Brendan Fraser, Christine Baranski, Bryan Cranston, Christian Slater, Ellen Burstyn and Jessica Chastain, Indiewire reported. Different well-known SAG-AFTRA members showing on the protests have included Lupita Nyong’o, Mark Ruffalo and “Abbott Elementary” creator and star Quinta Brunson, Selection stated.
However Selection reported that there’s been a notable absence of “mega-stars,” who presumably have essentially the most “star energy.” Along with Clooney, Pitt, DiCaprio and Affleck, different stars on this class embody Denzel Washington, Sandra Bullock and Julia Roberts. One picketer advised Selection that such stars have “deep affect” with the worldwide media, with cameras following “them in all places.”
However different SAG-AFTRA members stated there may very well be difficult causes for why these stars keep away from the protests.
“It’s not essentially to our benefit for the people who find themselves essentially the most profitable, rich and visual to be taking on house proper now,” one SAG-AFTRA member. “We have already got a notion drawback the place folks say, ‘These are only a bunch of wealthy actors.’ These stars don’t work for scale pay; they don’t want the safety of a greater contract. If Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston present up, they appear to be they’re crying poor.”
One agent advised Selection that these A-listers may do extra for the trigger in behind-the-scenes methods, for instance by lobbying studio heads or by donating to aid funds for actors dealing with monetary hardship by not working, as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Jamie Lee Curtis and her husband Christopher Visitor have finished.
However talking of Witherspoon, one other complication for some stars is that, with the rise of streaming, in addition they have turn into wealthy and highly effective as producers, Selection stated. Meaning their pursuits lie “on each side of the fence,” a supply stated.
However one other, much less savory complication has to do with self-importance, a high expertise consultant advised Selection. This consultant stated that they had been contacted by some well-known purchasers who requested which protests to attend — and if they need to guide hair and make-up for potential media interviews, Selection stated. This replied that these strikes had been a “very severe matter, not a purple carpet alternative.”
