MPTF’s ‘Lights, Camera, Take Action’ Telethon Raises $786K For Hollywood Crew Members Impacted By Strikes

Patrick Hipes
·2 min read

The Motion Picture & Television Fund’s second annual Lights, Camera, Take Action! Caring for Hollywood’s Crews telethon exceeded its fundraising goal by raising $786,512 on Saturday night, the nonprofit said.

The telethon, co-hosted and co-produced by Yvette Nicole Brown and Tom Bergeron, aired live on KTLA in Los Angeles, aiming to raise relief funds for entertainment industry members impacted by the dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes this year.

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It had set a goal of raising $750,000 this year after raising $865,000 a year ago.

Performances during the two-hour telecast included from Annette O’Toole and Michael McKean, Chris Mann, Darren Criss, Harry Northup, Lalah Hathaway, Leslie Odom Jr, MUSYCA Children’s Choir, Tausha with The Boxmasters, and Wendy Liebman. Special guests included Awkwafina, Billy Bob Thornton, Camilla Belle, Clark Gregg, Colin Farrell, Colman Domingo, Cristo Fernández, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Ike Barinholtz, Jay Ellis, Jeff Bridges, Jimmy Jam, Jodie Foster, John Stamos, Jonathan and Drew Scott, Lena Dunham, Ming-Na Wen, Morgan Freeman, Randall Park, Ronny Chieng and Tom Lennon.

Dawnn Lewis, Jason George, Jeff Sherman, Keith Powell, Kyle Bornheimer, Malcolm Barrett, Matt Walsh, Milana Vayntrub, Ramona Young, Rob Morrow, Sherry Saum, Spencer Garrett and Wilmer Valderrama helped take viewer donations throughout the show.

“MPTF really stepped up this year to support our entertainment industry,” Bergeron said. “We are so happy that instead of still holding up picket signs, we are joining with MPTF to help hold up one another with comfort and joy.”

Along with Brown and Bergeron, producers returning from the inaugural edition included Phil Rosenthal and David Wild.

The MPTF said that during the strikes it received more than 14,000 calls for aid, a volume of requests 10 times higher than the same time last year. It has provided $7 million in charitable assistance this year to date.

The telethon is available to watch here.

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