Dwayne Johnson made a seven-figure donation to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation
When SAG-AFTRA called the strike on July 13, Courtney B. Vance used his position as president of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation to write a letter to 2,700 of the highest-earning actors in the union. Vance asked them to step up and donate to the foundation, which will be providing financial relief to the lower-income actors on strike. One actor decided to give generously: Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock. Johnson apparently called Vance personally and Vance laid on the charm and finangled a huge, seven-figure donation. Good. They’re publicizing Johnson’s donation to spur other A-listers to donate. Speaking of, Variety has a piece about how a lot of union members (??) are worried or angry about the lack of A-listers on the picket lines. I’ve seen a lot of big-name television actors on the picket lines, but not a lot of big-name film actors.
There’s been a “palpable” lack of headliners, said one prominent SAG-AFTRA member, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “If our stars were all out there in force advocating for us, we’d know it,” they added.
Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence and Rami Malek all signed a June letter telling union leadership they were prepared to strike, but none of them have surfaced holding signs or chanting at studio gates. Leonardo DiCaprio posted an Instagram story saying he stood “in solidarity with my guild,” but has yet to stand for any in-person protest. On day one of the actor’s strike in mid-July, one protester straddled a median at the drive-on gate at Netflix headquarters holding a sign that read, “Where the f–k is Ben Affleck?” So far, no one’s seen him on the front lines.
These names join dozens of others that come to mind (Denzel Washington, Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, a recently un-retired Cameron Diaz) when one thinks about star power. “Plus,” one picketer recently said, noting the deep influence stars wield with global media, “the cameras follow them everywhere.”
To be fair, plenty of famous award winners have turned up to support the guilds: Rachel McAdams, Lupita Nyong’o, Mark Ruffalo, “Abbott Elementary” creator and star Quinta Brunson, Allison Janney, Bob Odenkirk and more. But the absent mega-stars might have some complicated reasons for staying home.
“It’s not necessarily to our advantage for the people who are the most successful, wealthy and visible to be taking up space right now,” said another entrenched SAG-AFTRA member. “We already have a perception problem where people say, ‘These are just a bunch of rich actors.’ Those stars don’t work for scale pay; they don’t need the protection of a better contract. If Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston show up, they look like they’re crying poor.”
Another wrench, according to a top talent advisor speaking anonymously, is the issue of taste. The rep said they had several clients ask which pickets to attend, and if they should book hair and makeup for potential media spots. The rep cautioned that the strikes were a “very serious matter, not a red carpet opportunity.”
“The real place the A-listers can help is donating to relief funds and lobbying the studio heads behind the scenes,” one agent said. To that end, Dwayne Johnson made a seven-figure donation on Monday to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, which provides financial aid for members who can demonstrate hardship caused by work stoppage from the strike. Similarly, Jamie Lee Curtis and husband Christopher Guest put up $25,000 last week for the same cause.
Others in the town think there’s a middle ground, where stars don’t have to be a distraction, but can still be effective. When pointing out that some picketers were frustrated to see Brad Pitt, Ariana Grande and Andrew Garfield photographed at Wimbledon during the strike’s first weekend, one power publicist said it wouldn’t hurt for Pitt “to throw on a SAG-AFTRA shirt when he knows there will be paparazzi.” An Emmy awards consultant also suggested that Jeremy Allen White, the lead of “The Bear” who recently had the internet panting with shirtless photos and has turned up on the picket line, do his daily pushups and jogging in front of struck companies.
It wouldn’t hurt for Pitt “to throw on a SAG-AFTRA shirt when he knows there will be paparazzi.” What if I told you that Pitt is still filming his dumb Formula 1 movie through the strike, huh? As for the rest of it… I agree that more big-name actors should join the picket lines – it actually matters that the richest actors are seen striking with the actors getting hosed by the studios, because that’s what a union is all about. Also: those rich actors are getting hosed too. The fact that the strike was called in the dead of summer is a factor here too – Leo DiCaprio hasn’t been on a picket line because he’s spent the bulk of the summer on a yacht. George Clooney is probably relaxing at his Italian summer home. Many actors are using the strike to go on vacation. Anyway, I think the strike has really revealed how television actors of all levels of fame are getting massively screwed over, while the primarily-film actors haven’t felt it in the same way.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – NOVEMBER 04: Actor Dwayne Johnson arrives at the World Premiere Of Netflix’s ‘Red Notice’ held at the Xbox Plaza and Chick Hearn Court at L.A. Live on November 4, 2021 in Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 641509587, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Dwayne Johnson, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon 
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA – DECEMBER 05: Actress Jennifer Lawrence, actor Leonardo DiCaprio, actress Meryl Streep, actor Jonah Hill and director Adam McKay arrive at the World Premiere of Netflix’s ‘Don’t Look Up’ held at Jazz at Lincoln Center on December 5, 2021 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States.,Image: 646576040, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Adam McKay, Credit line: Jordan Hinton / Image Press Agency / Avalon 
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 02: (L-R) Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher attend the world premiere of Netflix’s “Your Place Or Mine” at Regency Village Theatre on February 02, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.,Image: 753825791, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Reese Witherspoon, Ashton Kutcher, Credit line: Jeffrey Mayer / Avalon
PASADENA, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – FEBRUARY 25: Courtney B. Vance and Angela Bassett arrive at the 54th Annual NAACP Image Awards held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on February 25, 2023 in Pasadena, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 758778161, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Courtney B. Vance, Angela Bassett, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon 
Dwayne Johnson arrives on the red carpet of The 95th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 12, 2023.,Image: 762315005, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: SI / Avalon 
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 13: (L-R) Slater Josiah Vance, Bronwyn Golden Vance, Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance attend the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 12, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California.,Image: 763384378, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Slater Josiah Vance, Bronwyn Golden Vance, Angela Bassett, Cour, Credit line: Jeffrey Mayer / Avalon
Brad Pitt in the royal box during the mens’ finals on Day 14 at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Club, London, UK, 16 July 2023,Image: 789502204, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: World Rights, Model Release: no, Credit line: Peter van den Berg / Avalon 
Hollywood, CA – “The Flash” premiere held at Ovation Hollywood in Hollywood. Pictured: Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck BACKGRID USA 12 JUNE 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLHLnpmirJOdxm%2BvzqZmcWpnaYNze8OwmLKmlZS3sLTNrKanl52WsaarwJiqnq6Vo3qntcauqZ6XlKS7osDIqKWYrJ%2BUwamxvqyYoGWRm8Gzrb6fpq6mlJbBqrvNaA%3D%3D