In a historic summer for the entertainment industry, SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) officially went on strike in July, joining the WGA. US writer) on the protest lines of the movement brought industry to a standstill.
And among the many pro-worker voices, there is one very recognizable voice that has received media attention: SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher.
The day before the strike was announced on July 17, Drescher stopped by TODAY to share the union’s stance. “We will not settle,” she said. This is a very different industry from the way old contracts were reflected. With streaming and digital, it’s really important that it’s restructured to complement what’s there now.”
When the strike was officially announced, the actor and supporter’s speech went viral as she called AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers) a “greedy entity ”. NBCUniversal, TODAY.com’s parent company, is also part of the alliance.
“We are united in unprecedented solidarity. Our union, our sister unions and unions around the world are standing with us, as are other labor unions. Because at some point, the jig goes up. You cannot continue to be diminished and marginalized, looked down upon and looked down upon. The entire business model has been changed by streaming, digital, AI. This is a moment of history, a moment of truth. If we don’t stand firm now we will all be in trouble. We will all be at risk of being replaced by machines and big businesses who care more about Wall Street than you and your family,” she said.
And as this rousing speech is going viral online, it’s also getting the Royal Internet Treatment treatment (remixes, parodies, etc.).
“Absolutely excited after that speech. Thank you to our @sagaftra president Fran Drescher for standing up for us. We deserve a fair contract. Inspired by my friends and WGA colleagues who stood strong before us and I’ll meet you on the fence,” comedian Alyssa Limperis tweeted.
During an Aug. 1 appearance on TODAY, Drescher said SAG-AFTRA is ready to strike for at least the next six months. “We have prepared our finances for the next six months. And we really work hard to win,” she said.
Born in Flushing, Queens in 1957, Fran Drescher’s first screen role was a small role in John Travolta’s “Saturday Night Fever.”
She is best known for co-creating and starring in the ’90s sitcom “The Nanny.” Drescher plays a character named Fran Fine, a fictional version of herself. She started out as a Jewish beautician in Queens, then became a nanny to three wealthy children on the Upper East Side.
The show places Fran’s iconic Queen voice, eccentric fashion sense and unapologetically Jewish wit against a backdrop of opulent wealth and celebrity.
