As Hollywood actors and writers continue to strike, some celebrities are getting creative about how to help.
On Tuesday, The Union Solidarity Coalition (TUSC) launched an eBay auction to raise funds for film crew members whose health care is at risk due to the ongoing industry shutdown following failed negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
Stars including Lena Dunham, Sarah Silverman, Adam Scott and Natasha Lyonne are among those raising funds with “one-of-a-kind items and unique personal experiences.” All proceeds will go to TUSC’s Motion Picture Television Fund (MPTF).
“Lena Dunham will paint a mural in your home,” reads one auction item. Dunham, who also offers a “Virtual Story Basics Session” with fellow director Spike Jonze, co-founded TUSC. Along with Amy Seimetz, Zoe Lister-Jones, Andrea Savage and others, they are “a group of writers and directors who were encouraged to connect with the crew affected by the 2023 WGA strike,” according to the statement.
Scott offers dog walking services. The Party Down star will walk the highest bidder’s dog for an hour in Los Angeles, according to the auction item description. “Oh, you can join in too if you want, no big deal,” it says.
“Can I please walk your dog (whom I love) with you?” the actor wrote in an Instagram post Wednesday, noting “the health and well-being of the amazing crew that works on your favorite shows and movies — they’re incredibly hard-working, great people and these are tough times… it’s going to be funny.”
Natasha Lyonne.
Maarten de Boer/NBCUniversal via Getty
Lyonne’s activity promises to help the bidder solve the New York Times crossword puzzle. It includes a 15-minute “existential conversation with Natasha Lyonne and her dog Rootbeer,” according to the item’s description.
Silverman offers a “20 Questions/20 Minute Zoom” session where attendees can “talk about anything they want, from stand-up to filmmaking, heartwarming advice and more. Don’t be weird!”
Emmy winner The Handmaid’s Tale star Ann Dowd, meanwhile, is personally auctioning lunch. AND Rachel is getting married star Rosemarie Dewitt and Office space star Ron Livingston, married since 2009, are making themselves available for “Relationship Advice, Fighting Over Zoom” with another happy couple.
SAG strike rules: What Hollywood actors can and can’t do until a resolution is reached
The Hollywood writers’ union, the Writers Guild of America (WGA), has been on strike since May 2. The screen actors’ union known as the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) joined the writers in rallying on July 13.
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Ron Livingston and Rosemarie DeWitt.
Kevin Winter/Getty
See all the smart signs of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike lines
Courtesy of prominent SAG-AFTRA members, items up for auction include an apron from the set of the hit FX show Bear featuring signatures from actors Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri and others, as well as a Hawaiian shirt from Weird: The Al Yankovic Story signed by the musician and Daniel Radcliffe, the star of that film.
“The items in this auction blow my mind,” TUSC founder Paul Scheer said in a statement. “Not only is this a way for TUSC to continue to raise money between our larger fundraising events… it also showcases the creativity of donors who are personally connected to this cause and want to offer unique packages that will raise the most money for the crewmates they work with every day shoulder to shoulder.”
See the full list of auction items here, and more information about the Coalition of Solidarity Trade Unions here.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education