We’ve been hearing a lot from Star Trek: Picard actress, Michelle Hurd, since the SAG-AFTRA strike began.
And it’s for good reason. She’s been letting fans know what goes on behind the scenes, and why the strike is happening. First, she talked about the actors’ inability to pay rent and then how streaming shows were actually hurting them. But even, so, she clarified in a recent video shared by Yahoo!entertainment that SAG-AFTRA (and originally tweeted by The Wrap), RA isn’t asking viewers to boycott the streaming channels yet. That’s not to say, though, that things won’t come to that.
While joining the picket line in #NYC, #SAG LA Vice President @itsMichelleHurd says actors are literally working "Paycheck to paycheck" #ActorsStrike. pic.twitter.com/AWVTc4nQZO
— TheWrap (@TheWrap) July 17, 2023
Hurd said that maybe there would be a rallying cry. And if that time does come, she hopes people will follow the actors. She went on to clarify that the strike was a labor issue and not ““whiny elitist actors, you know, screaming for more money for their yachts.”
Michelle Hurd isn’t the only one bringing up the possibilty of a streaming boycott.
Former Conan co-host Andy Richter asked viewers not to cancel streaming services unless the unions asks for it. And he offered a good reason.
"“Cancelling streaming services feeds their assertion that streaming is inherently volatile and risky, and that is why they should be able to hire fewer of us and pay us less.”"
Another actor, Michael Gaston, who was in such shows as “Prison Break,” “Jericho” and “The Sopranos,,” did have an idea for what people could do with the money they would save if such a streamer boycott was asked for.
Gaston suggested that viewers take that money they’d be saving and give it to some of the charities that are helping out the artists. He specifically mentioned the Actors Fund, which is now referred to as A Life in the Arts, which can be found on Instagram. That charity will distribute donations to people who are going to be the most hurt by the strike. And whether we agree with the strike or not, we do know that families will be hurt by it so his suggestion is one to keep in mind should SAG-AFTRA ask for a streamer boycott.