Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Quinta Brunson Among 300+ Actors Threatening Strike Over ‘Fundamental’ Issues Like AI

A-listers including Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence and Quinta Brunson are among the more than 300 actors who have signed a letter to SAG-AFTRA urging the guild to stand firm in its demands from the AMPTP.

“We hope you’ve heard the message from us: This is an unprecedented inflection point in our industry, and what might be considered a good deal in any other years is simply not enough,” reads the letter, which was acquired by media outlets on Tuesday.

“We feel that our wages, our craft, our creative freedom and the power of our union have all been undermined in the last decade. We need to reverse those trajectories,” the letter continued, expressing solidarity with the ongoing WGA strike.

The letter comes after SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher spoke optimistically last week about reaching a “seminal deal” after “extremely productive” talks with studios.

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The missive expressed concerns over the use of AI, a key point in contract negotiations: “We want you to know that we would rather go on strike than compromise on these fundamental points, and we believe that, if we settle for a less than transformative deal, the future of our union and our craft will be undermined, and SAG-AFTRA will enter the next negotiation with drastically reduced leverage.”

Among the actors who signed the letter are Fred Armisen, Kevin Bacon, Jodi Balfour, Elizabeth Banks, Sara Bareilles, Troian Bellisario, Alison Brie, Connie Britton, Neve Campbell, Keith Carradine, Olivia Cooke, David Cross, Ariana DeBose, Daveed Diggs, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Minnie Driver, Hannah Einbinder, Brendan Fraser, Chelsea Handler, Colin Hanks, Neil Patrick Harris, Paul Walter Hauser, Maya Hawke, Riley Keough, Joey King, John Leguizamo, Dan Levy, Eva Longoria, Rami Malek, Marlee Matlin, Chris Messina, Debra Messing, Liam Neeson, Bob Odenkirk, Patton Oswalt, Elliot Page and Keke Palmer.

Rolling Stone first reported the story.

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