Top Hollywood actors offer $205 million to help end strike

Oscar winner George Clooney and other top Hollywood stars have offered US$150 million (S$205 million) to the SAG-AFTRA actors union as part of a proposal to end the actors’ strike as it nears its 100th day.

Their offer, confirmed by Clooney’s spokesperson on Thursday (Oct 19), would provide the union an extra US$150 million over three years and could help fund improved health benefits.

Clooney also said top stars would only collect residuals once lower-paid actors received theirs.

“A lot of the top earners want to be part of the solution,” Clooney told Hollywood publication Deadline, which first reported the news. “We think it’s fair for us to pay more into the union.”

A SAG-AFTRA spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Members of SAG-AFTRA have been on strike since July. Talks between the union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) broke down last week, dashing hopes for a quick resolution.

The strike, which will mark its 100th day on Saturday, has disrupted film and television production, leaving thousands of crew members without work as well as the actors.

Hollywood’s film and television writers ratified a new, three-year contract earlier this month, ending their 148-day work stoppage.