Days after Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson‘s historic donation to actors striking in Hollywood was revealed, a number of other A-listers have also opened their wallets to the cause.
Australian actors Hugh Jackman and Deborra-lee Furness, as well as Nicole Kidman have donated over $US1 million ($1.5 million) each to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation.
Hugh and Deb aren’t the only couple on the list of donors, with Jackman’s Deadpool co-star Ryan Reynolds and wife Blake Lively also on the list.
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The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists emergency fund had raised more than $15 million, they said in a news release on Wednesday (Thursday AEST).
These donations from “some of Hollywood’s top-earning stars”, including the likes of George Clooney and Meryl Streep, will provide aid for actors in the union facing economic hardships as a result of the ongoing strike.
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“In this strike action, I am lucky to be able to support those who will struggle in a long action to sustain against Goliath,” Streep said in a statement on Wednesday.
“We will stand strong together against these powerful corporations who are bent on taking the humanity, the human dignity, even the human out of our profession.”
Along with Streep and Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, Oprah Winfrey, Julia Roberts, and Arnold Schwarzenegger have each made donations of “$1 million or more” to the fund, according to the release.
Actor Courtney B Vance, the foundation’s president, said in a statement that Johnson gave an “historic seven-figure donation”, and that Clooney and Streep “stepped up with $1 million donations, emails, and many calls to action rallying others to give generously”.
“We stand ready to get back to the table and make a fair deal with the AMPTP,” Clooney said on Wednesday, referring to the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the organisation representing the major studios and streamers.
“Until then, I’m proud to be able to support the SAG-AFTRA Foundation and my fellow actors who may be struggling in this historic moment.”
The fund is set up to provide aid to applicants among the union’s 160,000 members who went on strike last month after failing to reach a deal on a new contract with AMPTP.
SAG-AFTRA members joined the Writers Guild of America, which has been on strike since May, on the picket lines.
On Tuesday, CNN reported that AMPTP has asked the WGA back to the negotiating table in the first known talks since the strike began nearly 100 days ago, but there are no talks scheduled yet with SAG-AFTRA.
“Our Emergency Financial Assistance Program is here to ensure that performers in need don’t lose their homes, have the ability to pay for utilities, buy food for their families, purchase life-saving prescriptions, cover medical bills and more,” Vance said.
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The strikes have been ongoing for the past three weeks, impacting productions around the globe.
While it’s not known how long these strikes could last for, SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher – best known for her work on The Nanny – said the union is prepared to strike for the next six months.
“We have financially prepared ourselves for the next six months,” the actress told the US Today Show on Wednesday.
“And we’re really in it to win it.”
If the strikes do last this long it could cause chaos for planned Christmas blockbuster releases and awards season, which typically runs from December to March.
– Reported with CNN.
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