Now that the SAG-AFTRA strike has come to an end after 118 days on the picket lines, guild president Fran Drescher revealed how A-lister George Clooney reacted.
The guild went on strike July 14, with actors walking picket lines alongside Writers Guild of America writers, the first time there’s been a dual-strike since 1960.
The WGA strike spanned 148 days, from May 2 to September 27, and now with the SAG-AFTRA strike ending, Hollywood can finally get back to work in earnest.
SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher, who, along with chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, negotiated the historic deal, said to be worth just over $1 billion over the three-year contract, the highest gains ever for the guild.
Drescher, 66, spoke with Extra on Thursday, where she revealed how George Clooney reacted to the strike ending, along with other A-listers like Tyler Perry, Kerry Washington and Bradley Cooper.
Fran on George: Now that the SAG-AFTRA strike has come to an end after 118 days on the picket lines, guild president Fran Drescher revealed how A-lister George Clooney reacted
Reaction: Drescher, 66, spoke with Extra on Thursday, where she revealed how George Clooney reacted to the strike ending, along with other A-listers like Tyler Perry , Kerry Washington and Bradley Cooper
‘George Clooney said, “I would have bet my house and lost that you couldn’t get the deal that you got, that you wouldn’t have gotten past a billion dollars.” And that just made me so happy,”‘ Drescher said.
She added that Tyler Perry also called her and told her, ‘I’m so, so proud of you. It’s you. You did this,’ while adding how other stars reacted.
‘Kerry Washington was so wonderful and brilliant and smart to talk to,’ she added, while sharing a story from Bradley Cooper.
‘He said to me that many, many years ago, when I was still on The Nanny and he was working at a hotel… and he maybe brought my bags up to my room with me and we talked the whole way up and he said, “I never, ever forgot how kind you were, how much you made me feel seen, and how you talked to me like I was an equal, and I’ll never forget that, and I’m just glad I had the opportunity to thank you now,”‘ she said.
She added that other stars such as Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Reynolds, Laura Dern and Emma Stone were all very ‘supportive.’
She revealed that the value of the contract was $1,011,000,000, which she mentioned was, ‘quite historic in terms of the size of the contract in this industry.’
While the writers and directors scored 5% increases with their new contracts with the AMPTP, the actors earned a 7% increase, with the industry’s lowest-earning performers – background actors – getting an 11% hike.
‘When it all adds up, it’s quite significant… You know, it wasn’t what we wanted as the performers with the background people got, we didn’t get that, but we were very happy that our lowest-earning members got the most for their minimum salary.”
George said: ‘George Clooney said, “I would have bet my house and lost that you couldn’t get the deal that you got, that you wouldn’t have gotten past a billion dollars.” And that just made me so happy,”‘ Drescher said
So proud: She added that Tyler Perry also called her and told her, ‘I’ m so, so proud of you. It’s you. You did this,’ while adding how other stars reacted
New inroads: She added, “New inroads were carved everywhere. And that’s what this moment was really about. It was essential that artificial intelligence be barricaded, with a lot of protections for the members’
She added, “New inroads were carved everywhere. And that’s what this moment was really about. It was essential that artificial intelligence be barricaded, with a lot of protections for the members.’
‘And, you know, it was very important that we found a new stream of revenue to try and level the playing field when it comes to compensation for the members that work the streaming channels,’ she continued.
The guild president added, ‘We’re already thinking about what we’re going to be working on for the next contract. In a negotiation, you don’t get everything.’
‘There was so much meat on the bone that we did get. It is such a triumph, such an extraordinary contract with so much in it that makes it meaningful for the lives of all of our members and, really, for generations to come. That was also important, because I think that this is a historic time, and we needed a seminal negotiation to match it,’ she stated.
