Don’t anticipate an actors strike to maintain J. Smith-Cameron from performing. Because the SAG-AFTRA work stoppage formally introduced on Thursday loomed, the Succession star informed VF that she was getting ready to return to her old flame. “I’m some theater issues,” she mentioned. “I’m simply making an attempt to consider performs I’ve at all times wished to do.”
Theater actors, in fact, aren’t represented by the Display screen Actors Guild; they belong to a separate union, the Actors’ Fairness Affiliation. That implies that even after they’re barred from performing in sure onscreen roles—those ruled by the TV and theatrical contracts that expired Wednesday at midnight—SAG-AFTRA members are free to take part in reside theatrical productions. And theater isn’t the one exception.
As SAG-AFTRA’s web site explains, the union negotiates a number of completely different sorts of contracts. Underneath the phrases of this strike, all SAG work that isn’t theatrical, TV, or for streaming platforms like Netflix and Apple TV+ (which falls beneath the umbrella of TV and theatrical contracts) is truthful recreation.
SAG might publish a extra particular record of strike guidelines in some unspecified time in the future. However at this level, obtainable info signifies that putting union members are nonetheless permitted to do union work in commercials, music movies, and company/academic movies—excellent news for Higher Name Saul star Jonathan Banks!—in addition to appearances on information broadcasts. Union work on morning reveals, speak reveals, the three remaining community cleaning soap operas, selection reveals, actuality reveals, recreation reveals, and sports activities packages might be allowed as properly, since all these media are coated beneath a separate contract referred to as the Community Tv Code. This loophole additionally means the late-night packages which have been shut down since Could as a result of writers strike might probably return to the air regardless of the SAG strike, albeit with out writers—as some did in 2007, over the past writers strike.
SAG-negotiated voiceover work for animated initiatives, video video games, and dubbing is extra of a grey space. SAG insiders point out that these kinds of contracts could also be permitted as properly, however say union members can’t transfer ahead with such initiatives with out approval from SAG-AFTRA’s nationwide board.
Sources additionally point out that exceptions will also be made for “really unbiased initiatives”—ones not produced, financed, or distributed by the studios represented by the Alliance of Movement Image and Tv Producers, or AMPTP. Podcast and audiobook work that doesn’t fall beneath the SAG-AFTRA umbrella is presumably permitted as properly.
What gained’t be permitted is promotion of labor accomplished beneath TV and theatrical contracts—which implies that so long as the strike continues, actors gained’t have the ability to enhance their movie and tv work by way of picture shoots, interviews, social media posts, or press of any sort. There, too, a couple of exceptions could also be made, as Natalie Jarvey and Pleasure Press wrote earlier this week: “Performers could be allowed to look at occasions like Comedian-Con for career-related panels that don’t promote a present mission. Charity occasions and the receipt of lifetime achievement awards would even be permissible, so long as actors aren’t photographed in entrance of company logos on the purple carpet.” Actors who produce initiatives might be allowed to do press as producers, however not as actors.
All of which implies it could be fairly a bit longer earlier than we hear J. Smith-Cameron focus on her work on Succession once more—until you occur to catch her on the stage door this summer time.
