Fran Drescher feared that he would “not survive” the negotiations with the studios. Hollywood to negotiate an agreement that would end the actors’ strike that paralyzed the entertainment industry and caused multimillion-dollar losses during its nearly four-month duration.
“Leading a group of this size with so much at stake was a huge challenge for me. I was very afraid that I wouldn’t survive,” admitted Drescher, president of the US Actors’ Union (SAG-AFTRA), which represents 160,000 actors, from extras to the gigantic stars of the silver screen, in an interview with EFE.
After an agreement in principle, the SAG-AFTRA The strike ended on November 9th. The next day, Drescher announced that 86% of the guild’s national board members had approved the agreement with the Alliance of Film and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents studios Netflix, Amazon, Disney And Warner Bros. Discovery.
The 66-year-old actress revealed that she felt the stress of leading the negotiations so much that it became physically impossible for her to attend face-to-face meetings with her union and the studios.
“I have never been in an environment where so much male anger was directed at me. It was really hard on my body. The only way I could get from my trading room to the room AMPTP “It was about spending as much time as possible with my dog,” he revealed during the interview, which was also attended by the newspaper El País.
After 118 turbulent days and trying to “keep his world small” by avoiding too many social contacts so as not to lose his world Mental healthDrescher said she felt “tired, relieved and euphoric.”
The paralysis of the Actor dealt an economic blow to the industry that supplies an important part of the economy California.
According to analysts, the losses amount to around six billion US dollars, which Drescher does not ignore: “It had to be worth it. “In the end we had no choice but to be successful,” said the protagonist of “The Nanny” (1993).
The actors already eligible to return to work must ratify the agreement worth around $1 billion in benefits and benefits to end this difficult chapter in the history of Hollywood.
READ: Actors, studios agree to end Hollywood strike
VISIBILITY
Drescher, who achieved worldwide fame as a humorous nanny Fran Finegained a different kind of attention in July when the union he led stepped in hit. At that time, the writers’ union (WGA) also did nothing to put pressure on the studios and obtain contract improvements.
This was the first joint strike Hollywood in more than six decades. Screenwriters and actors fought for similar causes, such as stricter regulations on the use of artificial intelligence (AI)Salary increases and pro-rata compensation for the continued broadcast of productions on streaming platforms “Streaming”.
The speech, in which he criticized the greed of corporations and their executives and praised the work of workers, sparked a viral wave of memes comparing Drescher to Karl Marx And Friedrich Engelsand revived scenes of his characters in other strike-fighting productions.
The Flushing actress, new Yorkclaimed the weight of all the unions which, like the union to which it belongs, make up the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations.
“This visibility brings with it a responsibility to speak on behalf of all unions and all workers, because we are all in the same boat, trying to earn respect and honor when big companies don’t necessarily do the right thing,” he said.
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Drescher cannot be paid for her work as president SAG-AFTRAwhich forced him to interrupt his professional career.
Before her union work, the actress gained experience as activist for causes such as the abuse of women and the prevention of uterine cancer, issues she has experienced firsthand.
But the fight for better conditions Work It shocked her in a special way, she said.
“I find it hard to believe that anyone would want to make a living ripping us off to support the big corporations that employ us,” he said.
After the difficult negotiations, which at times reached existential limits for both sides, Drescher said he hoped that the agreement mark the beginning of a new phase in the relationship between actors and studios.
“I hope that every decision made is consistent with respect, honor and empathy for workers,” he said.