SAG-AFTRA has become the latest Hollywood union to acknowledge the rise of verticals. The performers’ union stated on Monday that a contract specifically tailored to the booming microdrama format would be forthcoming by the end of the month. This “Verticals Agreement” will cover projects that have budgets of under $300,000, in keeping with the typically small budgets and tight turnarounds …
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As AI performer Tilly Norwood continues to spark debate about the intersection of Hollywood and technology, the new president of the actors’ union is doubling down on protection for his members. Sean Astin, star of “Rudy” and the just-elected leader of SAG-AFTRA, spoke to Variety about global curiosity over Norwood. She is the creation of a company called Particle6, which …
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Hollywood’s powerful actors union SAG-AFTRA has responded to controversial news, which Deadline broke over the weekend, that talent agents are looking to sign AI-generated actress Tilly Norwood for representation. “SAG-AFTRA believes creativity is, and should remain, human-centered. The union is opposed to the replacement of human performers by synthetics,” the guild said in a statement. “To be clear, ‘Tilly Norwood’ …
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SAG-AFTRA announced the results of its latest leadership and board elections on Friday evening, with longtime board and negotiating committee member Sean Astin elected as the new president of the actors’ union. The “Lord of the Rings” actor will succeed outgoing president Fran Drescher, who led the union through the 2023 TV/Theatrical strike and 2024/25 interactive media strike. Drescher chose …
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Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists on Friday elected “The Lord of the Rings” actor Sean Astin to be its national president as one of Hollywood’s most powerful labor unions faces new challenges in a changing film and TV industry. Astin, known for portraying Frodo’s loyal hobbit friend, Samwise Gamgee, in the Peter Jackson-directed fantasy trilogy, now …
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Sean Astin followed in the footsteps of his mother Patty Duke on Friday as he was elected SAG-AFTRA president 37 years after she left the post. The Lord of the Rings actor will preside over the sprawling 160,000-member union alongside his running mate Michelle Hurd, who was appointed secretary-treasurer. Astin won nearly 80 percent of the vote, while his opponent …
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Sean Astin, the star of “Rudy,” “Goonies” and “The Lord of the Rings,” was elected Friday to be president of SAG-AFTRA, succeeding Fran Drescher. Astin was part of a slate dubbed “The Coalition,” a unity ticket that included members of the historical rival factions within the union as well as some who were unaffiliated with either side. He defeated Chuck …
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Sean Astin has been elected to serve as the next national president of SAG-AFTRA. The actors union announced the results Friday evening, revealing that Astin was elected to succeed Fran Drescher with 79.25% of the vote. He will serve a two-year term alongside Michelle Hurd, who was selected for secretary-treasurer with 64.77% of the vote. Both begin their terms immediately. …
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It was Nov. 1, 2023, about a week before the Hollywood actors union reached a deal with studios that ended a historic strike. The labor group’s president, Fran Drescher, was feeling the heat from A-listers and rank-and-file performers alike to make good on more than 100 days of withheld labor. That day, she posted a morning routine video to her …
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