Entertainment
“People Are Homeless”: Strikes Wreak Havoc on Hollywood
Clear Facts:
- Ongoing strikes by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA highlight a dire situation in Hollywood, with many industry professionals, including actors and directors, facing severe financial hardships.
- Prominent figures like Deon Taylor and David Oyelowo have voiced concerns about the human cost of the strikes and are rallying for fair compensation.
- The uncertain climate has disrupted numerous projects, including Taylor’s much-anticipated “Blacula” remake.
Hollywood is often seen as the city of dreams, where talent meets opportunity and stars are born.
However, as the ongoing strikes led by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) enter their respective milestones, the human toll of these labor disputes is becoming increasingly evident.
Esteemed filmmaker Deon Taylor, having recently joined the picket line outside Amazon Studios in Culver City, spoke candidly about the severe repercussions faced by many in the entertainment business.
“This is crazy right now. People are not working that have dedicated their lives to this entertainment business,” Taylor remarked. “There’s people who are homeless. There’s people who can’t pay their bills. There’s people that can’t pay their light bills, and I know a few of those people.”
With an appeal to unite for the cause, Taylor, accompanied by his producer wife Roxanne Avent and their Hidden Empire Film Group, urged fellow creatives from all walks of the industry to show solidarity and support.
They were not alone in their call; notable figures such as Frank Grillo, Michael Ealy, and David Oyelowo heeded the plea, joining forces in the fight for just compensation.
Oyelowo, an acclaimed actor and the star of “Selma,” took to Instagram to articulate the importance of the industry’s contribution to culture and society.
“What we do does have a social, cultural impact and all we’re asking for is to be compensated fairly,” Oyelowo voiced in his video. He stressed that their demands were not excessive, but merely a plea for the ability to provide for their families and to be remunerated fairly for their hard work.
As a gesture of goodwill and camaraderie, the gathering boasted food trucks dishing out free food and a DJ setting the mood with old-school R&B. Taylor expressed hope that the gathering would boost the morale of those grappling with the repercussions of the strike.
He emphasized the importance of resilience, saying, “You’ve got to stand strong. It’s a war. And a lot of people are doing that. And hopefully today, man, we boosted a lot of people’s morale.”
In the midst of this chaos, negotiations between WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) resumed, though recent reports suggest that the discussions may have hit an impasse.
Concurrently, SAG-AFTRA awaits a response from AMPTP, emphasizing their readiness to recommence contract talks.
For Taylor, the uncertain climate has impacted his forthcoming project, a remake of “Blacula.” While the film is definitely on the cards, the strike has interrupted its progress. He remained tight-lipped about the cast but expressed enthusiasm about its development.
We want to know what you think! Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Patrick A Cross
September 2, 2023 at 6:48 pm
Americans don’t need Hollyweird, or its’ film industry
bob
September 4, 2023 at 7:41 am
Do not strike if what you provide is something the American people can do without, and as the COVID lock downs showed Hollywood is something we can do without
Darren
September 2, 2023 at 6:57 pm
Most all of Hollywood wanted Biden.
You have him.
Congradulations.
Daniel Gray
September 2, 2023 at 7:33 pm
Let me see. You have the one Cinderella actor demanding that because she wore a dress for 8 hours she wants to be paid for EVERY TIME the movie is shown. And thats over and above what she is being paid for now. Then they change the whole story around so its a person who will get her fathers kingdom and there are no dwarfs…just renamed magical creatures. They want to redo the oompa loompas to regular sized people. They are claiming they cant live on “pennies” and yet they make between 5 and 10K a week for the writers and the actors can make up to 25 million dollars per picture, does not sound like pennies to me now does it? They destroyed the marvel Franchise, they destroyed the Star Wars franchise. I mean how bad is it when you have a plastic doll and the guy who made the atom bomb movies outdo everything else? Then you have Viola Davis and others who claimed that if you didnt go see the fake “Woman King” movie then you are a racist bigot. And the idiot who made the gay buddy film claimed the reason it didnt do well was because of homophobia. And then they wonder why hollywood is going to hell in a handbasket??
Jerome Henderson
September 2, 2023 at 7:48 pm
Is another lame remake (Blacula) really the best Hollywood can do? With the writers guild on strike it’s no wonder that creativity is dead in glitter town. Between all the boring super hero films and woke nonsense, Hollywood might as well just roll up the streets. Nobody cares.
Joe
September 2, 2023 at 8:23 pm
Crybabies. We don’t want you to influence society. Your World is a Fantasy. You and the people you have influenced are on the verge of destroying our country. Start making movies again and keep the politics out of them. Never Forget !!
John
September 2, 2023 at 8:30 pm
“People are not working who have dedicated their lives to this entertainment business”. Yes, because they voted to strike and refuse to work. That’s why they are not working.
John O’Colmain
September 2, 2023 at 10:59 pm
After scoring in the top 1/10 of 1% on SAT, getting an Engineering degree, a dozen patents and having hundreds of $millions in new product launches…I’m unemployed in part because my presence owners the ESG score, and in part because of the government sponsored flood of cheap foreign scabs on L1 and H1 visa, most earning less than US minimum wage. I have a hard time feeling bad for those snowflakes who chose to leave their jobs and supported this admin who caused my situation of being unemployable despite being a leader in my field.
Charles Raymond Pilkington
September 3, 2023 at 4:07 pm
Actions have consequences!
Oldwestman
September 2, 2023 at 9:03 pm
What goes around comes around funny how that works. Why don’t you people go suck up to Biden and his cronies I’m sure they will figure out a way to tax the rest of us to help you all out. We are just barely making it on SS and a meager pensions and you folks are worried that you might not be able to afford a third cup of coffee at Starbucks and still fill the gas tank on your third car, while we don’t know if we have enough gas to get to our next DR appointment. My heart bleeds for you all (NOT)
Centurion
September 2, 2023 at 9:44 pm
“…all we’re asking for is to be compensated fairly…” What about me and my family? Where’s my fair compensation? What you want is to make your obscene salary when you’re not making a show or movie. How about saving for the lean times like I have to do? I have NO sympathy for you. Find a real job or die and whither.
John O’Colmain
September 2, 2023 at 10:51 pm
Oh boo-hoo for Hollywood. Just treat them the way the corporations, with the admins blessings, are treating Engineers and tech workers. Just kick them to the curb with nothing and bring in boat loads of cheap foreigners on H1 or L1 visa. Yea, give them all the boot and bring in $1.87/hr wage slave from the Tird World and then transfer what was one the budget for their salaries into executive bonuses and political payoffs. If we can handle a few jumbo jets falling from the sky and other collateral damage of bad but nearly free Engineering work we can certainly put up with foreign writers spending alternating 90 day stints in country on L1 visa followed by 90 days at a scam call center back home.
Vetmike
September 3, 2023 at 7:45 am
They are homeless after a month on strike? Let me check my ‘Give-a-Shit’ meter. Nope, still reading zero.
John
September 4, 2023 at 8:42 am
They chose to become a union member and pay dues. Now they are really paying their dues.
The trash being produced is geared to homosexuals, perverted people, socialist / communist and very few movies that I will watch!
Our country was founded on a Christian values that seems to have been tossed aside by too many writers and producers.
Dance to the music now and enjoy your strike v
Major Kong
September 4, 2023 at 12:22 pm
Years ago I belonged to a union, our contract came up every 3 years which we would either vote to strike or not…If we striked the union didn’t really take care of you by helping you financially or putting food on your table…In other words you had to take care of yourself and family…What surprised me the most that the union didn’t help its striking members…Another thing that surprised me was that the majority of the membership who voted to strike weren’t even financially prepared to strike because they didn’t put any money to the side to help them financially during a strike..I feel no empathy towards union members who vote to strike but aren’t financially ready to strike…One other thing that I disliked about union membership is that the union representatives still gtt paid during a strike thru the union which I believe they shouldn’t get paid just like the membership doesn’t get paid during a strike…
Louie
September 13, 2023 at 7:29 pm
I went on strike once. I learned the union prepared noone for it, supported strikers, and the acceptable carrot was a raise next year with dues increases immediately. Before voting to strike be prepared. And have leverage. Currently, the studios have leverage.
Major Kong
September 13, 2023 at 9:30 pm
This is crazy right now. People are not working that have dedicated their lives to this entertainment business,” Taylor remarked. “There’s people who are homeless. There’s people who can’t pay their bills. There’s people that can’t pay their light bills, and I know a few of those people.”
That’s what happens when you go on strike and you’re not financially prepared to go out on strike when you vote yes to strike….Nobody’s fault but your own…
Bet your union reps who recommended you to strike are getting paid from your union dues you paid out to pay their salaries and are able to pay their mortgage, utility bills, along with putting food on their table…”There’s a sucker born every minute”…….
Marlene
September 14, 2023 at 8:58 am
How about the top actors/actresses take a cut in pay. Instead of 10 mil per movie, how about 3 or 4. Producers, directors same thing. Then you can give raises to the peons. Or, if the movie is a blockbuster, how about a small percentage divided up between the peons as a bonus? Everybody is greedy and nobody wants to let loose of a couple of greenbacks to help the people who actually do the labor.