The SAG-AFTRA strike has come to an end and Hollywood is sighing a collective sigh of relief, especially late-night TV. Finally, actors can appear on the late-night shows to promote their movies and TV shows.
“Tune in tomorrow when my guests will be everyone,” host Jimmy Fallon declared on The Tonight Show. “When the actors heard a deal had finally been reached they gasped, screamed, laughed, cried, and then were like, ‘I also do accents.’ Seriously, the actors are back just in time. I’m not sure the world could handle another reality dating show.”
On Jimmy Kimmel Live, host Jimmy Kimmel greeted the audience by saying, “Thank you for joining us on Take Your Actor Back to Work Day here in Hollywood, where most of the movie and TV business has been at a standstill.” He added, “The Hallmark Channel immediately started shooting all 1,200 of its Christmas movies this morning.”
Kimmel noted that the strike lasted 118 and that its resolution was very good news. “Finally actors can get back to their real jobs, which is playing people with real jobs,” he quipped.
On Late Night, Seth Meyers did an entire segment on the strike ending with a short address to the audience. “Congratulations to SAG-AFTRA,” he said. “Congratulations to every worker who organizes and gets the deal they deserve. Well done.
The SAG strike officially came to an end this week after four months on the picket lines. The actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA, reached a tentative deal with the Hollywood Studios, or the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), on Wednesday evening. SAG-AFTRA leadership and its negotiating committee voted unanimously to approve the tentative agreement, suspending the strike, closing nationwide picket lines, and allowing actors to return to work.
The SAG-AFTRA National Board plans to vote on the tentative agreement Friday, and if approved, it will head to the union’s 160,000 members to ratify the deal. According to a SAG-AFTRA statement sent to members, the more than $1 billion deal includes “above-pattern” minimum wage increases, AI protections around consent and pay, and a streaming participation bonus.