Hollywood strike: George Clooney extends support to striking actors, calls it ‘inflection point’ in the industry

George Clooney arrives for a screening of his directorial ‘The Tender Bar’ in 2021
| Photo Credit: Henry Nicholls / REUTERS

Hollywood star and Oscar-winner George Clooney has extended support to actors joining writers on picket lines in the momentous industry-halting strike in Hollywood.

According to media reports, Clooney has released a statement expressing solidarity with the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and its 1,60,000-strong members.

“This is an inflection point in our industry,” Clooney said in his statement, quoted by The Hollywood Reporter. “For our industry to survive that has to change. For actors, that journey starts now.”

“Actors and writers in large numbers have lost their ability to make a living,” Clooney emphasised in his statement.

The actors union in Hollywood went on strike in New York and Los Angeles on Thursday, shutting down productions after talks for a new contract with studios and streaming platforms broke down. The Writers Guild of America has been protesting on synchronous issues such as better compensation and payment of residuals since May. They have also raised concerns about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in screenwriting.