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Stars who have joined the picket lines during the Hollywood actors strike
Hollywood actors are making their voices heard as the SAG-AFTRA strike continues
As the Hollywood actors strike continues, some of the industry's biggest names are making their voices heard.
SAG-AFTRA, the union that represents thousands of film and television actors, declared a strike starting on July 14 after failing to reach an agreement on a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. A recent Variety report questioned why certain A-list stars like Meryl Streep haven't been spotted on the picket lines, but that's not to say there haven't been plenty of recognizable faces supporting the cause.
Allison Janney
(Image credit: Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images)
"The West Wing" star Allison Janney joined a picket line outside of Warner Bros. in California, where she held a sign that read, "Name your favorite movie without actors."
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On Instagram, Olivia Wilde shared a photo of herself on a New York City picket line.
"My heart goes out to everyone who was forced to stop working because the AMPTP is failing to recognize our basic worth," she wrote. "It's a real shame they put us all in this position. But we can't settle for scraps out of desperation. The contract simply needs to reflect the massive shifts in the industry since the last negotiation. The jig is UP. Pay people for their work. Greed is gross."
Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan
(Image credit: NDZ/Star Max/GC Images)
Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan were spotted on a picket line in New York City. Kazan previously picketed during the WGA strike and told Deadline that "writers are the backbone of our industry."
Rosario Dawson
(Image credit: Hollywood To You/Star Max/GC Images)
Rosario Dawson joined a picket line in California on July 14 and another a few days later. "GO TEAM!" she wrote on Instagram on the first day of the strike.
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Jameela Jamil
"The Good Place" and "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" star Jameela Jamil joined a picket line outside of Warner Bros. in California. "Proud and sad to be picketing for the basic equity of the people who make our beautiful industry," she wrote on Instagram. "Not just actors, but the writers and all the people we lose if A.I. replaces on screen artists."
Tatiana Maslany
(Image credit: JNI/Star Max/GC Images)
"She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" star Tatiana Maslany also joined a picket line in New York, and she blasted Disney CEO Bob Iger. "He's completely out of touch with the workers who make his shows happen, who make people watch these shows, who bring viewers to him and him money," she told The Hollywood Reporter.
Hilary Duff
Hilary Duff picketed outside of Paramount in California, where she was joined by her "How I Met Your Father" co-star Francia Raisa. "We stand with our union!" Duff wrote on Instagram. "Let's gooooooo."
Daniel Radcliffe
(Image credit: John Nacion/Getty Images)
Daniel Radcliffe and his girlfriend, Erin Darke, joined a picket line in New York City, where the "Harry Potter" star held his three-month-old baby.
Jennifer Garner
Jennifer Garner said on Instagram she was "proud to walk in solidarity" with her fellow SAG members on a picket line outside of Fox studios. "I am walking as one of the lucky ones and every day I'm grateful," she said. "It will take all of us working together on both sides to evolve our industry, to set future generations of artists up for sustainable careers, and to get ourselves and our beloved colleagues back to work."
Joey King
"This strike is so necessary!" Joey King wrote on Instagram, adding, "I'm so proud to be part of a union that's fighting for a fair contract for all members."
Jack Quaid
Jack Quaid has been spotted picketing on multiple days in New York City and was joined by his "The Boys" co-stars Aya Cash, Colby Minifie and Claudia Doumit. "Striking outside Amazon in NYC with THE GIRLS," he shared on Instagram.
Aubrey Plaza
In a TikTok shared by SAG-AFTRA, Aubrey Plaza said she's "out here to fight against this broken system," adding that "these corporations have been profiting off our talents and our work, and we're not getting fair wages."
Nick Offerman
Nick Offerman said on Instagram it was a "privilege to picket in solidarity" with the writers guild, "all of us laborers striking for fair pay and so much more."
Bradley Whitford
"The West Wing" star Bradley Whitford walked a picket line outside of Disney, where he was joined by his daughter and by his wife, actress Amy Landecker. The AMPTP "has totally underestimated our resolve," he tweeted. "Their contempt for the workers who make their obscene wealth possible is clear. They want to break us. They never will."
Rachel McAdams
From a picket line in California, Rachel McAdams told Deadline she is "out here to support the unions," as "what they're asking for is totally within reason."
America Ferrera
America Ferrera picketed in New York City just as her movie "Barbie" was about to hit theaters. She wrote on Instagram, "New York is a union town!"
Mandy Moore
"This Is Us" star Mandy Moore was spotted on a picket line in California, where she told The Hollywood Reporter she receives "very tiny, like 81 cent checks" for streaming residuals on the hit NBC show. "I was talking with my business manager, who said he's received a residual for a penny and two pennies," Moore added.
"I'll tell you what," he said, "I'm on the side of the humans."
Sarah Silverman
Sarah Silverman shared a photo of herself on a picket line with "Hacks" star Hannah Einbinder on Instagram, where she also questioned why SAG-AFTRA is allowing some independent productions to continue during the strike. "I'm really pissed," she said.
Vanessa Hudgens
Vanessa Hudgens joined a picket line in California. "We are on strike because the AMPTP is refusing to offer a deal that is what us performers need in order to sustain our lives," she said. "The industry has changed due to streaming and inflation, and it's time that our contracts reflect that."
Brian Cox, Hayley Atwell and Simon Pegg
(Image credit: Krisztian Elek/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
"Succession" star Brian Cox spoke at an Equity rally in support of SAG-AFTRA in London, where he raised concerns about artificial intelligence. "The worst aspect is the whole idea of AI and what AI can do to us," he said. "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One" stars Simon Pegg and Hayley Atwell also attended this rally.
Bryan Cranston
(Image credit: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)
Bryan Cranston delivered a passionate speech at a SAG rally in Times Square. Addressing Disney CEO Bob Iger, the "Breaking Bad" star said, "We will not allow you to take away our dignity!"
Brendan Fraser, Steve Buscemi, Jessica Chastain and more
(Image credit: Alexi Rosenfeld / Getty Images)
Brendan Fraser, Steve Buscemi, Christian Slater, Wendell Pierce, BD Wong, Lauren Ambrose, Rachel Zegler, Chloe Grace Moretz, Stephen Lang, Christine Baranski, Ellen Burstyn, Jessica Chastain, and Michael Shannon are among the stars who also attended the same Times Square SAG rally as Bryan Cranston.
F. Murray Abraham
(Image credit: John Nacion / Getty Images)
F. Murray Abraham joined a picket line in New York City and later attended the Times Square rally. "Every worker in this country should have these same benefits," he said. "We're fighting for this country."
Kevin Bacon
On a picket line in New York, Kevin Bacon told The Associated Press he was "here for the working class, middle class part of our union," noting, "Not all actors are super, super high paid actors."
Danny Pudi
(Image credit: VALERIE MACON / AFP via Getty Images)
On a picket line in California, "Community" star Danny Pudi said he's "here supporting the union and working toward a fair contract" in a video shared by SAG-AFTRA's TikTok page.
Jeremy Allen White
"The Bear" star Jeremy Allen White reunited with some of his "Shameless" co-stars on a picket line in California.
Colin Farrell
(Image credit: Hollywood To You / Star Max / GC Images)
Colin Farrell was spotted on a picket line in California, where he was joined by "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One" star Shea Whigham. "Greed turns some of the smartest people on this planet into the biggest fools," Farrell said in a video shared by SAG-AFTRA.
Kiernan Shipka
(Image credit: Gilbert Flores / Variety via Getty Images)
"Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" star Kiernan Shipka joined a picket line in California.
Julianne Moore
Julianne Moore joined a picket line in New York City, as seen in an Instagram video shared by SAG-AFTRA. "We're also asking for boundaries on AI," she said. "It's an emerging issue, it's something we care about greatly, and I think we need to address it."
Lupita Nyong'o
Lupita Nyong'o joined a picket line outside of 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.
"We didn't want to strike, but now is the time to take ACTION," she wrote on Instagram. "Inspired, fired up and united on the picket line with my fellow actors and writers this week. I know we stand on the right side of history for a more fair, secure and dignified livelihood for the many."
Ron Perlman
(Image credit: Amanda Edwards / Getty Images)
Ron Perlman joined a picket line outside of Fox Studios in Los Angeles, where he spoke to TheWrap about an anonymous executive telling Deadline that producers plan to drag out the strikes until people begin losing their apartments and homes.
"The cruelty, which comes from a f---ing statement, like, 'we're not going to come to the bargaining table until people start bleeding, that's war," Perlman told TheWrap. "That's not a negotiation. There's nothing civil about that. That's a threat to people's well being."
Rosemary Harris
(Image credit: Photo by NDZ / Star Max / GC Images)
"Spider-Man" star Rosemary Harris, 95, was spotted at a picket line outside of Netflix in New York City. There truly is a hero in all of us.
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
