Inside the 2023 SAG Strike and What It May Mean for Hollywood

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike is, as of this writing on June 29, 2023, still going strong—and now SAG-AFTRA, the biggest actors' union in the business, may also strike. SAG strike authorization is still in the works, but here's what to expect if it happens, what actors are demanding and why they're standing their ground.

Related: Every Show and Movie Impacted By the 2023 Writers' Strike

Will SAG strike?

That remains to be seen. Deadline reported that a contract extension is being eyed and that negotiation talks may be extended as well to July 7 from the original June 30 deadline, in part to accommodate the Independence Day holiday.

According to Deadline, SAG-AFTRA's "Rule One" reads, "No member shall render any services or make an agreement to perform services for any employer who has not executed a basic minimum agreement with the union, which is in full force and effect, in any jurisdiction in which there is a SAG-AFTRA national collective bargaining agreement in place."

SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher (yep, The Nanny!) said in a video to members earlier in June 2023, "We are having an [sic] extremely productive negotiations that are laser focused on all of the crucial issues you told us are most important to you. We’re standing strong and we are going to achieve a seminal deal."

However, members aren't as confident. In a letter obtained by Rolling Stone, more than 1,000 actors called for more than what their president was willing to give them.

"SAG-AFTRA members may be ready to make sacrifices that leadership is not," the letter read in part. "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. 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 stated that while the actors are prepared to strike, they'd prefer not to do so because of the hardships it would bring to so many.

"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," it notes.

Among those who signed the letter are Charlize Theron, Pedro Pascal, Aubrey Plaza, Joaquin Phoenix, Olivia Wilde, Ewan McGregor, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Mark Ruffalo, Glenn Close, Brendan Fraser, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Marisa Tomei, David Duchovny, Sarah Polley, Quinta Brunson, Rami Malek, Maya Hawke, Riley Keough, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, John Leguizamo, Constance Wu, Michelle Williams, Ben Stiller, Liam Neeson, Eva Longoria, Amy Poehler, Amy Schumer, Neil Patrick Harris and Natasha Lyonne ... to name a few.

Interestingly, Drescher herself also signed the letter.

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Why would there be a SAG strike?

Among the demands actors are making with the threat of a SAG strike is concessions for studios' usage of artificial intelligence—essentially the idea of deep-fake technology taking work from them or using their likenesses without appropriate consent and compensation.

"We do not believe that SAG-AFTRA members can afford to make halfway gains in anticipation that more will be coming in three years, and we think it is absolutely vital that this negotiation protects not just our likenesses, but makes sure we are well compensated when any of our work is used to train AI," the letter says in part.

Actors are also demanding better compensation in line with rampant inflation (and, let's be real, price gouging), better benefits and for self-tape auditions to be covered by the union and thereby compensated.

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What happens if SAG strikes?

If SAG strikes, you can expect production delays on film and TV projects—if those projects haven't already been impacted by the WGA strike as well. Additionally, actors will be unlikely to promote projects they've already shot before the strike was authorized. In some cases, production of certain series shut down completely.

The shutdowns and delays wouldn't just be limited to scripted series, either: Because many competition shows and game shows are hosted by SAG-AFTRA talent, you may expect to see walk-offs for those productions as well.

Some events have already been impacted by the WGA strike, including San Diego Comic-Con, which saw Marvel Studios, Universal, Sony, Netflix and LucasFilm opt to sit out the heavily-hyped annual panels.

Related: Everything to Know About the 2023 Writers' Strike

Has SAG ever gone on strike?

Previous strikes have included:

• A nearly six-month commercial actors strike in 2000

• A seven-week SAG commercial actors strike from December 1978 to February 1979

• A three-month SAG actors strike in 1980

• A six-week SAG actors strike in 1960, led by none other than then-SAG president and future U.S. President Ronald Reagan (ironically, whose economic policy as POTUS would deter unions overall)

• A two-month actors' strike in 1952

When was the last SAG strike?

The last SAG strike was in 2000.

How is the writers' strike related to the SAG strike?

While their specific demands differ because of the different nature of their respective jobs, the WGA writers' strike and the potential SAG strike express concerns over streaming compensation, inflation and better benefits, as well as the use of A.I.

Next, Find Out Strike Supporter Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Net Worth