Bob Odenkirk calls for solidarity amidst desires for promotional waivers

Bob Odenkirk didn’t mince words while picketing the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Although some actors have called on SAG-AFTRA to grant promotional waivers for its members who have projects to promote, Odenkirk stands firmly on the side of the strike.

While on the picket line, Odenkirk told TheWrap his advice for those seeking waivers: “Don’t, It’s a strike. Strike. You lose. We lose. Everybody loses. That’s tough s–t.”

As it currently stands, SAG-AFTRA members are not allowed to promote any work associated with the AMPTP. As part of the strike against some of Hollywood’s biggest motion picture producers, union members are specifically barred from any form of paid promotion — meaning that marketing tours for major films like Barbie, Oppenheimer, and Mission Impossible had to stop abruptly.

In fact, Mission Impossible star Tom Cruise even reportedly lobbied for such promotional exemptions before the SAG-AFTRA strike even began — a move which has drawn the ire of his fellow SAG union members. Activists point out that any form of capitulation towards the AMPTP could potentially weaken the standing of the unions overall.

For his part, Odenkirk also explained that he expects the strike will take some time. “I actually am gonna go on a little trip,” he said. “I won’t be able to strike for a little while. So I wanted to get out as much as possible before going. And when they come back, I’ll be back on the line and see you as this is gonna go on.”

He’s not alone in that opinion. As the AMPTP battles against the WGA and SAG’s demands, including the implementation of streaming residuals, it’s clear that the studios aren’t willing to budge an inch. Although public opinion has largely been on the strikers’ side, the AMPTP has continued to engage in some very underhanded behavior.

The sentiment around working with the AMPTP again once all’s said and done has been fairly lukewarm. At the moment, working through the logistics of a press tour would practically be an impossibility. With no talk shows currently running, that also poses the difficulty of curating a space that would even house a tour. And if the A-list actors and actresses in Hollywood were to be granted waivers, that would risk the integrity of the movement and would likely divide it further.