Sarah Silverman slams actors working during strike
Scab!
Sarah Silverman took to Instagram to call out her Hollywood peers continuing to film independent, cleared projects amid the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.
While both groups have have banded together to halt major studio productions, a whopping 45 independent movies and TV shows have been given the green light — so far — under an interim agreement.
The 52-year-old comedian shared her honest thoughts in a three-minute video.
“I feel f–king pissed off, and I know I just must not be understanding something,” Silverman says in her post.
“There are like 40 movies being made right now. Movie stars are making movies because they’re independent movies, and SAG is allowing it because if they do sell it to streaming, it has to be because streaming is abiding by all the things we’re asking for.
“That’s just working.
“The strike ends when they come to the table and we make a deal in agreement.
“So, you’re just letting people make movies, and movie stars are making movies that you know the goal is to sell them to streaming.”
The actress predicted the strike would now be “exponentially prolonged, because they have movie stars making movies.”
She noted that this type of work will lead to “the end of the strike” and these independent films will eventually be released to streaming services.
“When SAG joined the strike, it’s, ‘Movie stars aren’t making movies for you anymore, now what are you going to do?’ Well, they’re making movies. What the f–k? I got offered an ‘indie’ movie, I f–king said no, and so did a bunch of my friends. And now some of my friends are saying yes. I’m really pissed,” Silverman continued.
“Please, explain to me why I shouldn’t be angry, because people are making real-deal sacrifices. People, writers, actors, crew people, all these people are sacrificing their livelihood for this cause. It’s called union strong, where we are all together,” she said.
“I got offered an indie movie, I f–king said no, and so did a bunch of my friends, and now some of my friends are saying yes. I’m really pissed,” Silverman admitted. GC Images
“And when SAG joined the [WGA on] strike — we should see every movie star out there striking along, because you have insurance because of your union and you get residuals because of your union. All of these things you get because of your union and you can’t stand with your union?”
She admits she doesn’t know who to be more upset with: “these movie stars making these indie movies that are obviously going to go to streaming” or “SAG for making this interim deal for these indie movies.”
“It’s scabbing — you’ve made that so clear that it’s scabbing,” she concluded in the video. “Now, all of a sudden movie stars can make movies if they’re indie movies where they promise they’ll only sell it if X, Y and Z. That’s called the end of the strike, motherf–kers!”
Despite delivering an explosive, unfiltered opinion, Silverman wrote that she would take the video down if others could “set me straight” for being wrong.
Some of her peers did not shy away from sharing their feelings on the subject.
“New Girl” star Zooey Deschanel, 43, pushed back in the comments section, saying, “I think we are striking certain particular contractual agreements with the [AMPTP, the association of major production studios] — not all work.”
Neither Silverman nor Deschanel responded to a request for comment.
Meanwhile, other stars showed support for Silverman’s perspective, including Mandy Moore and “Daily Show” co-creator Lizz Winstead, who commented on Silverman’s post: “Oh you understand it. It’s scabby gaslighting and you should be mad at both as I am.”
“Yellowjackets” star Juliette Lewis, 50, expressed her optimistic outlook that an “indie movie renaissance” will take place with the purpose to push strictly for theaters and not streamers.
Lewis, 50, additionally pointed to positions in the industry other than acting that Silverman didn’t address in her video.
“Also my brother, who is a laborer — I would love him to work on an independent production. Bunch of my friends in other states have had their unemployment checks run out, so if there’s movie productions that are not going to streamers — I’m for it for my crew and family.”
Source: New York Post
