Footloose star Kevin Bacon shows his support for the SAG-AFTRA strike

17 July 2023 , 18:48

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Footloose star Kevin Bacon spotted at the picket lines to support his fellow actors during the SAG-AFTRA strike in New York (Image: John Nacion/REX/Shutterstock)

Footloose star Kevin Bacon joins more than 160,000 people calling for change at the SAG-AFTRA strike as thousands hit the picket lines for the first industry-wide strike against film and TV studios since 1980.

The Golden Globe award-winning actor proudly stepped out to join his fellow protestors waving a black and white "SAG-AFTRA on STRIKE!" sign with a matching black SAG-AFTRA shirt. The 65-year-old actor is a proud supporter of his fellow artists and is one of the many famous celebrities that joined the strike in Los Angeles and New York. Some other notable stars to publicly join the strike include George Clooney, Jason Sudeikis, Joey King, and Allison Janney.

George Clooney in a statement to the press, said: "This is an inflection point in our industry. Actors and writers in large numbers have lost their ability to make a living. For our industry to survive that has to change. For actors, that journey starts now.”

Celebrities join in at the picket lines to support the SAG-AFTRA strike advocating for higher wages and better working conditions for actors (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Footloose star Kevin Bacon spotted at the picket lines to support his fellow actors during the SAG-AFTRA strike in New York (John Nacion/REX/Shutterstock)

The decision to strike came after negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) failed to produce new contracts for members. This followed weeks of bargaining with the AMPTP who represent some of the largest studios and streaming platforms including Paramount, Sony, Netflix, Walt Disney Studios and Warner Bros. Fran Drescher, Union president, announced the strike which began at midnight on July 14 in the US.

The Oppenheimer cast also publicly showed their support by walking out of the UK premiere to make a statement that they too, support the cause. This walk out included A-list celebrities Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Matt Damon and Rami Malek.

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Oppenheimer's director Christopher Nolan spoke about the walk out with BBC News, shared his support and said: "It's very important that everybody understands it is a very key moment in the relationship between working people and Hollywood," he adds: "This is about jobbing actors, this is about staff writers on television programmes trying to raise a family, trying to keep food on the table."

Thousands gather at the picket lines in New York City during the SAG-AFTRA strike (Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock)

Some of the demands among the SAG-AFTRA members include an increase in minimum pay, increased streaming residuals, improved working conditions, and protection against artificial intelligence. This comes after the The Writers Guild of America strike that includes 11,000 members which has been striking for similar demands since May 12.

SAG-AFTRA president Drescher said during a press conference on July 13 gave a speech explaining that the stakes laid out are a 'serious moment' and a 'very big deal' for the entertainment industry.

Supporters proudly wave their signs as they support the SAG-AFTRA strike in New York City (Erik Pendzich/REX/Shutterstock)

The strike has brought major studios to bring multiple high-profile projections on hold including Paramount Pictures Gladiator 2, Warner Bros. Pictures Juror #2 and Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two, and Apple TV+'s Untitled F1 drama starring Brad Pitt.

Caroline Gaspich