During a SAG-AFTRA strike rally in Times Square on Tuesday, actors Bryan Cranston gave an impassioned speech, sending a message to the strikers as well as Disney CEO Bob Iger.
During a SAG-AFTRA strike rally in Times Square on Tuesday, actors Bryan Cranston gave an impassioned speech, sending a message to the strikers as well as Disney CEO Bob Iger.
Cranston says robots won’t take jobs
Cranston took the stage early Tuesday in New York during a “Rock the City for a Fair Contract” rally in support of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. Cranston began his speech by speaking about Hollywood’s ever-changing industry, before ridiculing Hollywood studios for continuing to fight SAG-AFTRA “with all their might” to stay in the same economic system.
“We don’t have the same business model that we had ten years ago,” Cranston said (via diversity). “And yet, while they admit that this is the truth in today’s economy, they fight by any means necessary to keep us clinging to the same economic system that is outdated and outdated! They want us to travel back in time. We cannot and will not do that.”
The legendary actor then took aim at Disney CEO Bob Iger, saying that those involved in the strike would not be outlawed by “robots” – a nod to the use of AI in films, a major sticking point in both the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.
“I know, sir, you’re looking at things through a different lens,” Cranston said. “We don’t expect you to understand who we are. But we ask you to listen to us, and beyond that, to listen to us when we tell you that our jobs will not be taken away from us and handed over to robots. We will not allow you to take away our right to work and earn a decent living. And last but not least, and most importantly, we will not let you take away our dignity! We are united through and through, to the end!”
Cranston was just one of many stars who performed at the rally in New York City. In addition to Cranston, actors Steve Buscemi, Wendell Pierce, Christian Slater, Christine Baranski, Stephen Lang, Titus Burgess, Michael Shannon, BD Wong, Brendan Fraser, Jessica Chastain, Matt Bomer, Chloë Grace Moretz, Corey Stoll and more spoke.