The Hollywood Reporter
The announcement of the 75th annual Emmy Award nominations brought as much chaos as it did joy and celebration on Wednesday, as some of television’s most honored stars were expecting the SAG-AFTRA strike to be officially called a day later — putting an immediate stoppage to Emmy campaigning, as the strike rules prohibit any promotion for TV series produced by AMPTP members.
As is customary on the day of the Emmy nominations, The Hollywood Reporter spoke to many nominated actors hours after they learned of their nods — but this year, the impending strike was an unavoidable topic of conversation. As Sheryl Lee Ralph, a member of the SAG negotiating committee who also earned her second consecutive Emmy nomination for Abbott Elementary on Wednesday, told THR, “We’re not big, million-dollar companies. No, we’re people, and we want to enjoy what we do, and we want to make a living at it. That’s what this is about.”
Below, see what nominees — including Niecy Nash-Betts, Taraji P. Henson, Bill Hader, Paul Walter Hauser, Tyler James Williams, Kathryn Hahn, Diego Luna, Padma Lakshmi and others — had to say about this historic moment in Hollywood.
Anthony Carrigan (supporting actor in a comedy series, Barry)
“It’s obviously a very wild time right now, and we’re on the eve of potentially even more wild times. But I’m really hopeful that the actors and the writers will be able to reach deals that make them feel like we’re being protected, that we’re being compensated and that we’re human beings — real, live human beings that create this art are being valued. Because there’s nothing like the real thing.”
Phil Dunster (supporting actor in a comedy series, Ted Lasso)
“It’s hard, isn’t it? The decisions that are made aren’t really in our hands, but I have always been a supporter of our unions and a supporter of the right to strike. I support SAG in these ongoing negotiations to find a deal that is not only right for actors but is fair.”
Dominique Fishback (lead actress in a limited series, Swarm)
“I think that all artists deserve to be fairly compensated and respected for the hard work that they do. We go do projects and leave our family and friends, sometimes for months at a time. You spend hours on set, and it affects your personal life. I wouldn’t trade it at all; I love what I do, and there are other ways to make artists feel respected and appreciated. I’m in such a place of not trying to control things that I can’t control. Today is really just about the celebration and living in the moment-by-moment, and whatever happens with the strike happens, and whatever is meant to be will be.”
Bill Hader (lead actor in a comedy series, writing for a comedy series and directing for a comedy series, Barry)
“I just hope that a deal is struck, and we get a fair shake. It is a very important strike. Sometimes people think it’s people being overzealous or whatever, but this is a big one. I’m really proud of everybody [who worked] on the show, especially our writers, and I’m very proud that we have four seasons of a show on [and] we got the best series nomination [every year]. That personally feels really great.”
Kathryn Hahn (lead actress in a limited series, Tiny Beautiful Things)
“My advice to young actors would be for them to know that this is for the good of the rest of their careers. Just know and trust that this is important. This is a time to dig deep and read and to remember that this will be resolved when it needs to be resolved. It’s a weird time. The future is happening, and change happens with the future. It can be uncomfortable and, you know, sometimes you wish that things didn’t have to go to these places. … I’m keeping my fingers crossed and my optimism intact that things will end so much better for this industry, for all of my friends in all of the crews and other departments who I love so much. This is about the entirety of the group, that this will be a chance to lift each other up. I hope that everyone gets what they deserve.”
Paul Walter Hauser (supporting actor in a limited series, Black Bird)
“I think that our streamers and our studios … are part of what allows these great stories to be told, and I appreciate so much what they’ve done for us and continue to do. Having said that, nobody wants to be in an abusive relationship in which one group kind of lords over the other and slowly but surely diminishes returns for them. I just think it’s an odious thing, and I hope that the studios and streamers have [their] hearts in the right place. We all need each other, and we [need to] acknowledge that these creatives work their butts off and are crazy talented, and they live in expensive cities like L.A. and New York, and they have families. I feel for those people, and I hope that the streamers and studios feel for them, as well.”
Taraji P. Henson (guest actress in a comedy series, Abbott Elementary)
“I’m really concerned about this AI movement. [I saw a video] on social media where Nicki Minaj’s whole likeness was used. Oh my God, have we come to this point? I mean, you hear about it, you read about it, but once you actually see it happening, that’s when it’s like, we have a really big problem here. And so now I’m really down for the fight. But I’m in a position to be able to strike. What concerns me is the actors who may not be as financially stable as I am. My heart goes out to the writers, people just want to work in this economy. You know, people just want to work. And I just hate that. It’s all greed. Greed will be the end of humanity. You can’t just steal humans’ likenesses; you can’t do all of this work that you do as an artist for some computer to generate you. It’s just it’s not fair.”
Theo James (supporting actor in a drama series, The White Lotus)
“There needs to be unity and support for the writers. Everything we do as actors begins with the written word, and if there’s not parity in that sense, then we won’t be doing what we’re doing. We need to support that as much as possible. And then in terms of the AI of it [all] — because it’s hard to imagine now, but it’s going to change very quickly — I understand and support that there needs to be language in there for the writers that they’re going to be protected from [AI influence]. Not literally writing scripts but there needs to be an element of protection.”
Padma Lakshmi (reality or competition host, Top Chef; hosted nonfiction series or special, Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi)
“I think a lot of the things [that SAG-AFTRA is fighting for] are the same as what we’re fighting for in the Writers Guild. I’m a member of Writers Guild East; I don’t think I’m an active member because I haven’t written anything in three years, but I am a member, and I’m certainly a member of SAG. I think that everyone on set is important to the creative process, especially the people who originate the material, as well as the people who interpret the material. I’m looking forward to a fair resolution on both fronts and soon. I think it’ll not be soon, but I hope it is soon.”
Diego Luna (nominated as an executive producer for best drama series, Andor)
“I just really hope that things get better and that things get solved soon and that we have a healthy environment for everyone, not just actors, but everyone working in this industry. I am worried for what’s to come, but [I’m] supporting the strike and supporting the union. I think it’s quite remarkable what we’ve seen with the writers and what’s happening today with SAG. We live in a world that’s polarized, where there doesn’t seem to be any agreement. It gives me hope to see people uniting, you know? People uniting and understanding the strength of numbers and fighting as one, that is an important reminder today of what we as citizens of this world need to be doing: working together and finding solutions to bring them because they’re needed. I just really hope this brings the best of everyone and that soon we can all be back working and in a much more fair and just scenario for everyone.”
Niecy Nash-Betts (supporting actress in a limited series, Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story)
“You gotta eat the elephant one bite at a time. Today, we celebrate, and tomorrow is another day. We wanna make sure that everybody is [working] under a contract that they feel good about. I just hope that all hearts and minds agree and get to it sooner rather than later.”
Tyler James Williams (best supporting actor, Abbott Elementary)
“For years, I’ve had friends that are series regulars on shows who cannot afford to live in L.A. We’ve been talking about this for years, since the streaming model popped up. It’s almost impossible officially to live in L.A., where most TV shows either shoot or your workspace has to be on a 10-episode arc under an exclusivity deal with no residuals. It’s just not sustainable. And it’s a wild thing to see that happen to people. I know it’s gonna be scary initially; it’s gonna be a tough time for a lot of people because, you know, we’re just not working. We need to resolve these things. We can’t just keep letting them go by and leave it to the individual actors to negotiate themselves, because they’re not always in a powerful position to do that. As a union, we have to protect each other. This is a long time coming, to be completely honest with you. It may possibly cut down the episode [run] of Abbott season three or whenever we get back to shooting, but that’s neither here nor there. The point is that [actors] should be able to live and maintain a life, just as the writers should as well.”
Kirsten Chuba, Hilton Dresden, Chris Gardner, Xennia Hamilton, Sydney Odman and Esther Zuckerman contributed reporting.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
