The actors are speaking out in support of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) union, which has recommended strike action after talks with studios broke down. This is in the midst of a historic shutdown as actors and writers, united in their fight for fair wages, go on strike.

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) are in dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), demanding increases in base pay and residuals in the streaming TV era plus assurances that their work will not be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI).

A-listers such as Margot Robbie, Jamie Lee Curtis, Issa Rae, and Karl Urban have voiced their support for the strike, while Disney CEO Bob Iger has condemned the threatened action as “very disruptive” at the “worst time” as well as calling the expectations of writers and actors “just not realistic”.

Despite the opposition, the actors and writers are standing firm in their decision to strike. Actor Jack Quaid tweeted “If we must strike… THEN WE SHALL STRIIIIIIIIKEEEEEEEEE!!!!!” while former star of The Nanny and SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher said studios’ responses to the actors’ concerns had been “insulting and disrespectful.”

The actors and writers’ solidarity has been bolstered by an old David Letterman skit that has resurfaced, reminding the public of the precedent for the strike. It is yet uncertain when a deal will be reached, but one thing is for sure: Hollywood won’t be the same until the actors and writers get the wages they deserve.