It’s been a big year for the Actors’ Union. SAG-AFTRA went on strike in the summer of 2023 and their Madame President Fran Drescher was at the front line of every march, and even, the picket line. The beloved The Nanny and Friends star has been president of the Screen Actors Guild since 2022 and was elected in Sept. 2021, beating out Matthew Modine for the position. Joely Fisher won the position of Secretary-Treasurer in the same year.
Variety reported that Drescher promised to bring “positivity and optimism” to the Union. At the time, her then-opponent Matthew Modine called her an accomplished person and a survivor, even commending her work as a producer, but claimed that she was not the right person to lead a Union.
Drescher ran with the Unite for Strength Slate alongside Rent Actor Anthony Rapp who lost to Fisher. Her standpoint was to “bridge the divide” in Union ranks, form a united front against COVID and the global health crisis, and help union betters do what they are best at; informing and entertaining.
Drescher appeared at the Sag Awards on Feb. 24 in dazzling red and made a speech thanking her union members for their hard work and dedication when it came to the strike, negotiations, and standing strong as a united front. She received applause from actors, actresses, and union members as she commemorated guiding them through the longest strike in SAG-AFTRA history.
After a monumental year for Fran and the union, it appears she has earned more respect than ever from her peers. Whatever doubt her opponents had against her when she was initially appointed has been proven wrong a dozen times over.
Published: Feb 26, 2024 8:36 AM UTC