12 quirky ways stars are donating their time to raise money during Hollywood strikes
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For a mere $24,550 you (and a friend) could have dined with comedians Bob Odenkirk and David Cross. For charity.
The Union Solidarity Coalition launched an eBay auction to help crew workers affected by the ongoing actors strike and recently wrapped-up writers strike.
A-list celebrities donated their time in creative ways — for example, Busy Philipps offered a chance to take a pottery class with her — and bids on the auction items skyrocketed.
Within 48 hours after launching the auction, stars had raised more than $93,000. The goal was to make $150,000, per The New York Times. All proceeds benefit coalition crew members’ health care fund.
“At the end of the day we’re going to get a better contract that’s going to give us different levels of money,” said actor and comedian Paul Scheer, per The New York Times. “But the crew members who are not negotiating with us because they’re on a different cycle — they’re just losing work and there’s no benefit there.”
After hundreds of bids, the auction closed at the end of last week. Let’s take a look at what quirky, personalized celebrity experiences the highest bidders will soon receive.
The quirky auction items A-list stars sold
Adam Scott will walk your dog
The “Parks and Recreation” star will take the highest bidder’s dog on a walk, with them.
“May I please walk your dog (whom I love) with you?” the actor wrote in an Instagram post, adding, “the health & well-being of the incredible crews who work on your favorite shows & movies — they’re unbelievably hard-working, terrific people and these are tough times…it’ll be funnnn.”
Scott’s offer was exclusive to dogs living in L.A. The walk, which will last for one hour, reached a final bid of $5,300.
Bob Odenkirk and David Cross will join you for dinner
Hollywood A-list icons Bob Odenkirk (“Better Caul Saul”) and David Cross (“Arrested Development”) are eager to join two lucky individuals on a dinner date.
“You and a guest can enjoy an in-person dining experience with ‘Mr. Show’ creators and real-life besties Bob Odenkirk andDavid Cross in New York or Los Angeles. If you can’t travel, you will dine over Zoom with delivery from your favorite local restaurant,” the listing read.
Cross promoted the experience via social media, writing: “Come on! It’s for a GREAT cause! Also, if you’ve never seen me feed Bob, you’re in for a treat!” Cross wrote on X, the platform formally known as Twitter.
The high-ticket item sold for $24,550.
Natasha Lyonne will help you solve a crossword puzzle
Emmy-award winning actress Natasha Lyonne — known for her starring roles in “Poker Face” and “Orange is the New Black” — will assist someone in solving a New York Times crossword puzzle. The hangout with the star went for thousands of dollars, per NPR.
“A fifteen-minute existential conversation with Natasha Lyonne and her dog Rootbeer while doing the Wednesday NYT crossword puzzle,” the item’s description read, per Slate.
Lyonne announced her participation in the auction through her personal Instagram page. “Auction live now!” she wrote.
Lena Dunham will paint a mural in your home
Writer, director and actress Lena Dunham offered to paint a mural in the highest bidder’s home. Her offer was sold for more than $5,100.
“I really hope whoever wins my mural is prepared to give me a lot of coffee, tell me about their life in detail so I can translate that into colors and shapes — and that it can be its own new bonding experience,” Dunham said, per The New York Times.
John Lithgow donated an original watercolor dog painting
“Footloose” star John Lithgow donated an original watercolor painting of the top bidder’s dog. Apparently, he has done several watercolor dog paintings for silent auctions.
“I was going to be an artist until I heard too much applause, and then I became an actor,” Lithgow joked, per The New York Times.
He praised film crews because they “work harder than we do.”
“They’re there two hours before we arrive and they leave an hour or two after we’re finished, and they don’t have a trailer to retire to 20 times a day,” he said, per the The New York Times.
The cast of “Bob’s Burgers” will write a tune for you
A fan of the quirky Fox cartoon will receive a personalized song performed by the sitcom’s main cast members. It is a fitting offer, as the series is known for producing catchy tunes.
“The cast of ‘Bob’s Burgers’ will sing a personalized and improvised song for you including Bob & Linda, Tina, Gene & Louise, Teddy & more,” said the item’s description, per Slate.
Take a pottery class with Busy Philipps
Busy Philipps (“Cougar Town,” “Freaks and Geeks”) will take a pottery class in New York City with the highest bidder.
“Oh, you want a pig pot, you say? well, HOW ABOUT YOU MAKE ONE WITH ME?! Bids are open now with all proceeds going directly to financially support tv & film crew members who have lost health insurance due to the strike!” the actress wrote on her Instagram page.
After 36 bids, the offer went for $5,100.
Virtually hang with the cast of “New Girl”
A chance to virtually hang out with the cast of “New Girl” via Zoom for 15 minutes was also up for auction.
The highest bidder will soon hang with series stars Zooey Deschanel, Lamorne Morris, Hannah Simone, Max Greenfield, Zoe Lister-Jones and Jake Johnson and have the chance to ask the cast members “(almost) anything,” per the Observer.
Own a fedora worn by Tom Waits
American musician and composer Tom Waits put one of his iconic fedoras up for grabs.
“Tom dusted off and signed his fedora to help raise health care funds for Union film and TV crew members who are without work while the Actor’s and Writer’s strike goes on. Filmmaking is a collaborative act of adventure and faith,” read a post on his Instagram.
Chat with Dan Levy via Zoom
Actor, comedian and writer Dan Levy will chat with the highest bidder on all things television writing for 30 minutes. “Interested in writing for television? Let’s spend half an hour talking about it,” Levy put in the item’s description.
“As a writer/actor/director/panic stricken shell of a person, I quite literally wouldn’t be here without crew,” Levy wrote on Instagram. “So bid some money on spending a joyful half hour with me talking all things tv writing! Apologies in advance if my enthusiasm off-puts.”
The Zoom chat with Levy went for $8,200 and received 56 total bids.
Lunch with Ann Dowd
An opportunity to dine with Emmy award-winning actress Ann Dowd was also up for grabs. Dowd will dine with the highest bidder in New York City or over Zoom if the buyer lives elsewhere. The dining experience sold for $4,050.
“This is an invaluable chance for a lucky bidder to sit down with her and absorb the warm wisdom of her decades of experience,” the listing said.
Own an apron from “The Bear” signed by Jeremy Allen White
One fan of the hit show “The Bear” will own actor Jeremy Allen White’s blue apron signed by cast and crew. The apron went for $2,550.
Several other collectable memorabilia items such as a Hawaiian shirt signed by Weird Al Yankovic and Daniel Radcliffe and a Parker Posey package with signed items from “Dazed and Confused” were also sold.
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