What Happens When There's an Actors Strike, Explained

As of now, it’s been more than two months since the beginning of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, which has led to interruptions and delays in the production of film and television series, as well as their premiere dates.

Unfortunately, the WGA strike has not slowed down, and as of July 14, it is now coinciding with the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, making it the first “double strike” in Hollywood since 1960, while Ronald Reagan was the president of SAG.

Because film and television productions have already been delayed since the beginning of the WGA strike on May 2, 2023, the actor’s strike may not seem like it will cause more disruption.

With that in mind, here is what’s happening now that the actors are on strike.

Keep reading to find out more…

Actors Are Taking Time Off Work

Now that the actor’s strike is official, actors will not be working, at least not on-camera. Actors (including background actors, stand-ins, and photo/body doubles) are not allowed to act, sing, dance, perform stunts, pilot on-camera aircraft, work as a puppeteer, or participate in performance capture or motion capture work.

No More Pre-production

Pre-production is the stage in which one prepares the project (film, television series, stage production, etc.) for the shoot. Now that the SAG-AFTRA strike has begun, pre-production for projects has come to an end. This includes wardrobe fittings, makeup tests, rehearsals, camera tests, scanning, interviews, and auditions.

Don’t Expect Too Many Promotions

Promotions for films and television series have come a long way over the years, with film marketing being the main selling point of the entire project. Unfortunately, fans can kiss that goodbye, as actors are not allowed to participate in the promotion for work under contracts.

“Since we will all stop utilizing social media to promote work that we are on strike for, this is my last offering from the wonderful new Disney movie @hauntedmansion” Jamie Lee Curtis posted on her Instagram.

Actors will also not be participating in things such as press tours, personal appearances, interviews, conventions, film and television festivals, premieres/screenings, podcast appearances, and award shows, which we will get to in a moment.

The Emmy Awards May Not Happening in September

The 2023 Emmy Awards are in full-swing, and this year’s nominees include a number of stars, including Pedro Pascal. The show is scheduled to air live on Fox at 8 p.m. ET on September 18, 2023… Maybe.

Insiders confirmed that the Academy and Fox were waiting to see if the strike were to actually happening. Now that it is, the Emmy’s may now take place sometime between November 2023-January 2024, but the decision won’t be made until the end of July.

Agreements Aren’t an Option Until the Strike Is Over
Because of the actor’s strike, one of the things actors cannot participate in is negotiating and/or entering into and/or consenting to things such as agreements to perform covered services or merchandising connected to a covered project.

Reality Shows Will Shine Brighter Than Usual

Although many television productions are paused until the strike is over, it’s not the case for soap operas, reality shows, morning shows, talk shows, variety shows, and game shows. Vanderpump Rules is currently filming Season 11, and although there was a fallout between Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga that led to a pause in production, filming for The Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 14 will commence in August 2023 as planned.