See, Even Some "Famous" Actors Don't Know!

See, Even Some “Famous” Actors Don’t Know!

Are Actors Clueless About SAG and the Strike?

What’d I tell ya, huh? The biggest problem with professional union actors ever having a hope-in-hell of getting paid for “New Media” is that practically no one has a clue about what it’s all about!

Many actors don’t know. Or can’t digest all the abstractions and complexities… (Abstractions: future media, tech, business forecasts…Complexities: business, legalities, details…)

Dennis Hopper Gives A Good Try…

…Here, in this interview I found on “Fancast”:

Dennis Hopper had some choice words for reporters regarding the possibility of a Screen Actor’s Guild strike during today’s promotional panel for the new series Crash on the Starz network, even joking about his buddy Jack Nicholson, whom he shared the screen with in the iconic film, Easy Rider.

“I don’t wanna go between Jack Nicholson and Tom Hanks,” He joked “But I guess I’d have to side with Jack. Out of the 120,000 in SAG there’s 7,000 people that make their living primarily acting and the others have other jobs. Generally if it comes to strikes they do it because they want more benefits, which isn’t necessarily great for the industry. I hope it doesn’t come to a strike. I hope we don’t go out and strike, but beyond that I have no knowledge.”

Are Actors Asking For More “Benefits”?!…Enter Don Cheadle…

Don Cheadle, who is the co-executive producer of the new series, chimed in, saying “We sort of gave away the farm at the last writers strike. These residuals, they’re our lifeblood, I’m lucky because I work pretty consistently, but a lot of people work month to month and I hope we can come to some agreement without coming to a strike. And its not just writers who take the hit, its caterers, cleaners, restaurants too.”

Feet Firmly Planted In Both Camps

Hollywood-speak, and everyman-speak.

Caring for both sides, and caring for all sides.

Encompassing all, and saying nothing.

Then, of course, there’s the what-the-heck-are-they-talking-about element, overall.

(…That is, btw, our native form of communication: “Los Ang-evasive”…)

Don Cheadle, Executive Producer

I have to give some cred to Don Cheadle. Not only is he a solid, and fine, actor; but in this situation, he is also an exec-producer…That makes him, well, split down the middle: he’s an actor, so he’s SAG, and a producer, so he’s then AMPTP. (In case you’re “new”, those are the two union opponents, in the SAG Actors struggle.)

I think he does a very diplomatic job, and on the fly!

I think he shows some empathy, too; but, he sprinkles it around so liberally, it diffuses the intent.