Actors Union, Writers Guild Tighten Strike Rules After Backlash

Anne Hathaway, Matthew McConaughey, Nicolas Cage, and Hunter Schafer are among the lucky — and now final — few stars who can get away with bending the actors union strike's rules.

SAG-AFTRA announced on Monday that it will no longer grant waivers to indie films or TV shows that were written under a writers guild (WGA) contract. SAG-AFTRA has already given permission to 207 projects to continue filming during the strike, which means that stars like Hathaway and Schafer, attached to A24's Mother Mary, can come into work.

The actors union initially granted waivers because independent producers had agreed to all of the union's demands and independent producers aren't part of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the trade association that the two entertainment guilds are at odds with.

However, some members of SAG-AFTRA, such as comedian Sarah Silverman, have been critical of the union's decision to issue these special permissions, calling the non-picketing actors "scabs."

The actors' union conceded to backlash generated by the likes of Silverman and other peeved members. It will no longer approve "business as usual" for projects that were written under a WGA contract.

“We have been advised by the WGA that this modification will assist them in executing their strike strategy, and we believe it does not undermine the utility and effectiveness of ours,” the guild, headed by Fran Drescher (The Nanny) announced to the press. “It is a win-win change.”

This decision will not impact the previously issued waivers.