Hollywood is in a dire situation with the SAG-AFTRA strike underway alongside the WGA strike at the picket lines. Striking is not free, though; all those involved lose wages while the strike goes on, and things can get rough for many choosing to better their future while suffering in the present. Help is at hand, however, with Dwayne, The Rock’ Johnson gifting the union with a massive donation.
When the decision was made to strike, SAG-AFTRA Foundation president Courtney B. Vance knew that the coming months would cause a financial burden on many. Together, with executive director Cyd Wilson, they sent letters to 2,700 of the highest-paid actors that are a part of their union to ask for any financial support that would allow them to help out those in their industry who the loss of income will impact.
Wilson spoke to Variety on the matter, saying:
“Having been through this during COVID and having such a great response from our own membership to take care of their own, when the strike was decided, Courtney and I sat down with our team and said, ‘Here we go again,’”
The foundation is a non-profit that assists its members when times get tough with an Emergency Financial Assistance Program, which helped some of its 16,000 members during the pandemic and is doing the same with the strike. The money doesn’t just come out of thin air, though, and while they manage to raise some of it, in dire situations like the one actors face right now, donations are required to help those in real need.
“We rely on donations and grants to provide services — we have been very fortunate that we raised enough money to be able to cover all of our programs. But when we hit a crisis like this and we’re going to spend millions and millions of dollars in financial assistance, this is when we need our high profile talent who can afford it, who are in a situation to help others.”
Johnson is one such high-profile talent, as he is currently one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, and when he received the letter asking for assistance, he answered the call. A chat between Johnson and Vance was apparently “a love fest,” with Vance telling him that his donation would serve as an example to others. Though the exact amount has been kept confidential, it was reported to have been in the seven figures. This will allow the foundation to potentially assist thousands of actors on strike.
SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s grants can give each member $1,500, but, in extreme situations, such as medical emergencies, they can give up to $6,000.
When many hear that actors are striking, they imagine the elite that earn millions from just one movie, but the reality is that most actors in Hollywood are actually struggling to get by as is, let alone now, during the strike. Members have shared a graphic showing that 87% of the SAG-AFTRA members do not reach the threshold of making $26,000 a year from SAG-AFTRA jobs, which is what they would need to even qualify for health insurance.
Of Johnson’s donation and the impact it will make, Wilson added,
“It’s the largest single donation that we’ve ever received from one individual at one time. And what is amazing is that that one check is going to help thousands of actors keep food on their table, and keep their kids safe, and keep their cars running. And it’s not lost on me that he’s very humble about this, but it is a way to get us started.”
This is what community looks like; when times are hard, and people are struggling, those in a position to help do just that. We are sure many will be grateful to the actor’s donation as the strike continues; let’s hope that AMPTP execs can find some room in their hearts to be a little more generous regarding negotiations. If you want to support those on strike, there are ways you can do just that to ensure that creatives get a fairer contract in the future.