Current:Home > reviewsFran Drescher tells NPR the breakthrough moment that ended the Hollywood strikes -WealthSync Hub
Fran Drescher tells NPR the breakthrough moment that ended the Hollywood strikes
View
Date:2025-04-22 00:21:29
The longest strike in history by actors against film and TV studios has finally ended.
As of Thursday morning, actors are free to work again now that their union — SAG-AFTRA — has a tentative deal in hand. It still needs to be ratified, but it includes pay bumps, protections against artificial intelligence and streaming bonuses.
So far, studio heads have not responded to NPR's request for interviews. In a statement, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers called the tentative agreement "a new paradigm" and said it "looks forward to the industry resuming the work of telling great stories."
SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher spoke to All Things Considered host Ailsa Chang on Thursday about the deal.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Ailsa Chang: I should note first that NPR News staffers are also members of SAG-AFTRA, but we are under a different contract. We were not on strike. We've been working this whole time. Now you guys get to work as well. So tell me, Fran, after almost four months of actors striking, what was the breakthrough that led to this deal, you think?
Fran Drescher: Well, we were making strides throughout the time that we were on strike, except, of course, from when the AMPTP decided they were either going to walk out or they themselves were deliberating taking time before they came back with a counterproposal. So, you know, the time was usually productive. And once we really got to a place where not only did they really fully grasp the idea that this is a new dawn, that this is new leadership, that this is a historic time and this calls for a seminal negotiation — then whatever it was that we were talking about, whatever it was we felt that we needed, they decided to put their thinking caps on and group together to come up with their own solution version.
Chang: Let me talk about that new dawn, as you refer. Do you think the protections for artificial intelligence in this contract are broad enough to keep up with this quickly-evolving technology? Or do you think, Fran, you're going to have to renegotiate this AI issue all over again in three years when this contract is up?
Drescher: Well, I think that it's going to be an ongoing discussion and potentially an ongoing battle, because in the world of AI, three months is equivalent to a year. So we got whatever we thought we could possibly get to protect our members for the duration of this contract. But we also requested that we all meet together to just take the pulse of where technology is twice a year.
Chang: I think the understanding is that you would revisit the AI issue.
Drescher: We would be talking about it because we're going to have to come together on the same side for federal regulation and also to protect both of us from piracy. So, you know, there is a lot there that we have to really start working together on. And now there's language in the contract to protect my members. And in three years, it may be a whole different situation with new problems that need to be unpacked and discussed and argued and negotiated. And I think it's going to be this way for a very long time. And that's OK.
Chang: Let's talk about the streaming participation bonus. I mean, I know that you had to push really hard to get the AMPTP to agree to this bonus, which basically means that actors will now get paid more if a show that's on a streaming platform is a hit. But there are a lot of shows on streaming platforms that aren't hits, right? Like, Bloomberg found that fewer than 5% of original programs on Netflix last year would be considered popular enough to result in performance bonuses. So what do you make of that?
Drescher: Well, actually, the mechanism by which we determine the amount of money put into the fund is determined by the shows that receive 20% of the viewers, which is basically a thimble size.
Chang: Right. You're saying that if a particular show gets 20% of the platform's subscribers to be an audience that's considered a hit, and then a fund gets some of the bonus, if you will.
Drescher: Yeah. Then the bonus money will go into the fund based off of that mechanism. And then part of the bonus money will go to the performers that are actually on those shows because those shows would, you know, be definitely in syndication were they are on linear television.
veryGood! (94183)
Related
- Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
- Botic van de Zandschulp stuns Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets in second round of US Open
- The Prime Show: All bling, no bang once again as Colorado struggles past North Dakota State
- Michigan Supreme Court rules out refunds for college students upended by COVID-19 rules
- The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
- Jessica Biel and Son Silas Timberlake Serve Up Adorable Bonding Moment in Rare Photo at U.S. Open
- Feds: U.S. student was extremist who practiced bomb-making skills in dorm
- Nikki Garcia's Rep Speaks Out After Husband Artem Chigvintsev's Domestic Violence Arrest
- Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
- Alexei Popyrin knocks out defending champ Novak Djokovic in US Open third round
Ranking
- The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
- Murder conviction remains reinstated for Adnan Syed in ‘Serial’ case as court orders new hearing
- Sheriff’s office quickly dispels active shooter rumor at Disney World after fight, ‘popping’ sound
- Carlos Alcaraz’s surprising US Open loss to Botic van de Zandschulp raises questions
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- A famous cherry tree in DC was uprooted. Its clones help keep legacy alive
- Gun Violence On Oahu’s West Side Has Parents And Teachers Worried About School Safety
- Judge allows smoking to continue in Atlantic City casinos, dealing blow to workers
Recommendation
Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
As Mike McCarthy enters make-or-break year, unprecedented scrutiny awaits Cowboys coach
Getting paid early may soon be classified as a loan: Why you should care
Harris says Trump tariffs will cost Americans $4k/year. Economists are skeptical.
In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
Memphis City Council sues to reinstate gun control measures on November ballot
Tom Hanks Warns Fans Not to Be Swindled by Wonder Drug Scheme Using His Image
USA TODAY Sports' 2024 NFL predictions: Who makes playoffs, wins Super Bowl 59, MVP and more?