Here’s Why These Actors Are Allowed to Work During the Strike

Hunter Schafer isn't allowed to step on Euphoria's set during the actors' union's strike. She is, however, allowed to continue filming Mother Mary alongside Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel. 

Confused? You're not alone. While the Writers Guild of America's strike rules are far more clear-cut — save for a rare few contested exceptions — the actors' union (SAG-AFTRA) strike rules, while just as stringent about strikebreaking as the WGA's, provide slightly more leeway for the bonafide indie flicks and shows in development. SAG-AFTRA's leadership has given 39 productions special permission to continue filming due to being independent projects and not associated with the struck studios and networks that comprise the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). 

Two A24 movies will be made during the strike: Mother Mary and Death of a Unicorn, starring Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega. The other 37 waived productions have been shared by SAG-AFTRA. It is unclear how long the actors' union strike will last, but if it goes on as long as (or beyond) the WGA strike's 78-days-and-counting, it is likely that other productions featuring SAG-AFTRA members will also be given the proverbial blessing. 

But how about actors on stage, or actors abroad? Which actors are allowed to work during the strike? We lay it out for you:

Stage actors

While folks that perform plays and musicals on Broadway, on national tours and even at your local theater are, in fact, actors, they have their own union. Actors' Equity Association (AEA) is an entertainment guild with over 51,000 including  singers, actors, dancers, stage managers. As such, they are not picketing alongside SAG-AFTRA, but they have issued a statement of support for both the actors' union and writers' union's demands. 

"Nobody should step in front of a camera fearing that today's work will be mined, manipulated or repurposed in the future without consent or compensation," Kate Shindle, president of AEA, said. "The AMPTP's behavior once again prioritizes shareholders over the workers who create their hugely profitable content, instead of simply making a deal to get everyone back to work. Shame on them." 

But even though stage performers aren't striking, their productions could be shut down if the theater workers’ union (IATSE) vote yes to authorize a strike. IATSE, which is composed of stagehands, hair and makeup artists, and wardrobe attendants (among other artisans and personnel) have been unlucky with their contract negotiations with the Broadway League and Disney Theatrical Productions.

Actors abroad

The United States isn't the only country with actors' unions. Canada, Britain, Australia, Spain, South Korea, Italy, Denmark, Nigeria, India, Germany and Mexico are just some of the countries with guilds that aim to protect the rights of entertainers and keep them from being exploited. 

Some of these labor organizations have already publicly expressed their support for SAG-AFTRA's strike:

But does that mean that members of these international unions need to stop working to show solidarity? Nope. Actors are being encouraged by their unions to continue working and to refer back to guild leadership for a refresher on their rights and strike laws specific to their respective countries in the event that their work is disrupted by SAG-AFTRA picketing overseas. (This is why series with casts with majority non-SAG-AFTRA members, like HBO's House of the Dragon, have continued filming throughout the writers' union and the actors' union strikes in the U.S.) 

However, the dual strikes in Hollywood may encourage studios and networks to cast actors abroad and to expand their global reach. The Messenger has already reported that Netflix invested billions of dollars this past April to expand its South Korean TV and film exports, partly due to the success of shows like Squid Game and The Glory, but also partly because the streamer can count on South Korean laborers to be cheaper to hire and, well, be on the job since they're not in the middle of a walkout.

Want to learn more about the actors’ union’s strike and what it could mean for viewers like you? Check out our explainer about the walkout, as well as the complete list of strike rules.