Hollywood's Triple-A list actors have started becoming integrally involved in trying to solve the Writers Guild strike against the Hollywood CEOs. I've just been told that George Clooney today is volunteering to personally set up a so-called "mediation panel" including himself and with plans to ask Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and John Wells (the executive producer of ER and a controversial ex-WGA president) to be part of it, plus 3 or 4 bigwigs who are siding with the producers. The offer came in a phone call today with Harvey Weinstein who promptly volunteered to be part of the panel. Clooney suggested its purpose should be to oversee the talks and tell the WGA as each term is bargained "you have to live with this and get over it," and tell the AMPTP "you have to live with that and get over it", Weinstein quoted George as saying. It's also Clooney's idea that everybody would be locked in the room together and not leave until the deal is done.
This follows a London interview by that other Triple-A lister Tom Hanks linking the fate of the upcoming Academy Awards to the studios' continued refusal to "get down to honest bargaining". Both Clooney and Hanks are making it clear publicly that they're concerned about the writers strike's collateral damage. Hanks said corporate bosses should remember that many ancillary businesspeople were suffering from the studios and networks refusing to restart negotiations with the Writers Guild. "There are caterers and carpenters ... and electricians and gaffers," Hanks told Reuters in London Wednesday night. "There are a lot of people out there associated with the industry, for whom the sooner this work stoppage is over the better." And Clooney said much the same thing when he appeared onstage at Monday night's Critics Choice Awards (photo above): "When the strike happens, it's not just writers [affected]... Our hope is that all the players will lock themselves in a room and not come out until they finish. We want this to be done. That's the most important thing."
Now that Clooney and Hanks are at the head of the line, then Will Smith, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Reese Witherspoon, Russell Crowe, Denzel Washington, Jodie Foster, Julia Roberts and other AAA-listers may follow their lead. As I wrote way back on November 7th soon after the WGA strike started and have said repeatedly since, the only time I've ever heard of Hollywood CEOs caving on a major negotiation is when they get in the same room with a major star. There's just something so needy within the Hollywood moguls' psyche that they want to be liked and respected by the creatives they in turn like and respect. (I assume this is why these businessmen make TV and movies instead of toothpaste and mattresses.) Therefore, any professional, personal and even psychological pressure put by these top-of-the-heap artists on the studio and network bosses could make all the difference in solving this strike.
Hanks and Clooney are studs!!! Go, boys! Someone needs to clean up this shit. We love ya!
Comment by Writer — January 10, 2008 @ 5:35 pm
So George Clooney is going to personally tell the WGA “you have to live with this and get over it?”
Shoot! I had planned to oppose any bad contract that might be presented to us, but if George tells us ratify it… well, now I don’t know whether to give up all residuals forever or not!
Comment by Dennis Wilson — January 10, 2008 @ 5:44 pm
How ironic that these guys are only now chiming in as the Oscars draw near…
Comment by Andrew — January 10, 2008 @ 5:44 pm
Let’s get some women in there, too, and cut this tiresome old boys club already - these CEO guys are disastrous childish businessmen.
Comment by Observant Public — January 10, 2008 @ 5:47 pm
Clooney and Hanks have actual personal integrity. They are probably the only superstars who will be brave enough to do this. None of the other stars you mentioned will step up to be a leader here. They’re all cowards. Jodie Foster might but I doubt it. However George and Tom will be enough provided they can get Spielberg to stand with them. If they can do that there will be a deal by the middle of Feb.
Comment by Anonymous — January 10, 2008 @ 5:53 pm
Great, so Oprah Winfrey dictates who our President is, and George Clooney is the last hope to end a union strike
scary times
Comment by TV Public — January 10, 2008 @ 6:14 pm
I didn’t see any female stars coming up to the plate. Who’s ever first in line, gets to call the shots.
Sorry Darling.
Comment by N — January 10, 2008 @ 6:17 pm
Just when you thought you couldn’t love George Clooney any more than you already do…
Comment by Echo — January 10, 2008 @ 6:19 pm
“George Clooney today is volunteering to personally set up a so-called ‘mediation panel’ including himself and with plans to ask Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and John Wells (the executive producer of ER and ex-WGA president) to be part of it, plus 3 or 4 bigwigs who are siding with the producers.”
John Wells? WTF?
Where are the writers’ representatives on this panel?
John Wells actively works against the WGA. He intentionally undermined it when he was a president. The things that John Wells did in his attempt to crush the WGA from the inside is one of the reasons why there is a strike.
This looks like AMPTP work to me. There is not one writer on that panel. It’s 100% PRODUCERS.
People should stop fantasizing that others are going to speak for the WGA in negotiations.
Leno has shown he doesn’t side with the WGA. Kimmel has shown he doesn’t side with the WGA. Stewart is against the WGA. Colbert is against the WGA.
And they have used their own shows to SPEAK AGAINST THE WGA. It is exactly what they were going to do and stupid gullible people thought otherwise.
Those people were supposed to be some of your heroes. Yet, they write and perform their own material night after night.
No once cares about the writers except the rank and file. Do not let anyone dictate B.S.
Clooney and a panel of 100% PRODUCERS is B.S. Don’t think Speilberg is more interested in the WGA than he is creating product and banking the proceeds.
Some of you people are gullible as hell. No wonder this strike will be a failure.
Comment by Where are the Writers? — January 10, 2008 @ 6:20 pm
Oh my god, don’t let John Wells be a part of any “mediation panel”! He’s the reason we’re in this mess. He’s the one who sold us out on the previous contracts, and he’s the one who recommended that we drop the dvd demand so that we’d see some movement from the studios. Which obviously didn’t happen.
Comment by matt — January 10, 2008 @ 6:27 pm
Dennis and Andrew,
Way to go with the positive energy. Both of them already have OSCARS and both of them are already multimillionaires. Do you want to get back to work or not? Why don’t you see what comes of this before shooting it down. There is enough hardship in our Industry as it is…a little bit of hope and positive thinking can go a long way.
I’m trying to look at these two great guys speaking out, one of whom I’ve met and is truly the real deal, and picture the snowball beginning to get bigger.
Keep the faith! Please.
Actor Also Affected and trying hard to remain optimistic…while sitting here in a Florida hospital room beside my mother who just got out of a successful surgery…
Comment by Larry Sullivan — January 10, 2008 @ 6:28 pm
Hey, George Clooney’s a movie star, he played Batman, he has a villa in Italy, so who could possibly argue that he doesn’t have the right to supercede the WGA’s negotiating committee and simply dictate the terms of a deal to us. Man has an Oscar party to get to, people.
Comment by StickingWithMyUnion — January 10, 2008 @ 6:30 pm
These actors are overestimating their power and influence in a situation which is in fact way over their heads. Sumner Redstone and Bob Iger and Rupert Murdoch will have a good laugh over the notion of anybody compelling them to stay in a room or live with anything short of total victory. But as long as the writers stay united and hold the line, the one laugh they won’t have is the last one.
Comment by Stephen — January 10, 2008 @ 6:30 pm
Something has to be done. I had to take my daughter out of school because I can’t afford it now. My child is suffering over this.
Comment by Laura B. — January 10, 2008 @ 6:31 pm
This is great. What will happen when the AMPTP tells all of those stars to go fuck themselves?
Comment by A Strike Captain — January 10, 2008 @ 6:34 pm
Great idea. Way to go Hanks and Clooney.
One suggestion. Leave John Wells out of it. Please please please.
Comment by Shannon — January 10, 2008 @ 6:34 pm
This is all very well, but I’m not voting yes on a deal just because some highly paid actors tell me to. I’ll vote on a deal that makes sense and that preserves my pension and health benefits, thank you very much.
Comment by kitty — January 10, 2008 @ 6:40 pm
Clooney proves himself to be the arrogant know-it-all we all thought he was. And Harvey Weinstein??? You HAVE to be kidding. Mind your own biz. I’m not giving away the internet for the next generation of writers because george says “live with it” so he doesn’t have to cross a picket line at the Oscars.
Comment by Jersey WGA — January 10, 2008 @ 6:49 pm
Where’s Chuck Norris when you need him? Oh yeah…right.
Comment by Tavis — January 10, 2008 @ 6:55 pm
Let’s not forget: It’s not just the caterers and carpenters who are eating shit in this strike.
It’s also the journeyman actors (such as myself) who rely on TV guest star parts and featured roles in films to get our health benefits, have a shot at a sustainable career and have a shot at a pension (if we ever can actually “retire”). So good on George and Tom. They don’t need the money but they haven’t forgotten where they came from. Let’s hope this works. I support everything my writer colleagues are fighting for. If they lose, SAG will be seriously screwed when they try to get Internet residuals on the table later this year.
To paraphrase Jason Robards character in “All The President’s Men”: We’re all under a lot of pressure. Nothing is riding on this except maybe the future well-being of the people that create the content without which there’d be no entertainment business in the first place.
Comment by Chris Grove — January 10, 2008 @ 7:06 pm
Agreed, John Wells ia anathema to Working Writers. He was driving the truck that ran us over carrying our DVD Residuals. He cost us big time. And I highly doubt many in WGA want him involved in the process.
Let the WGA Negs carry on. United we stand…
Comment by PJ - Writer — January 10, 2008 @ 7:47 pm
Relax, people. Do you seriously think a “panel” of these people would be listened to by either side?
Congrats to them for the thought (sweet) but really– they just want to go to the Oscars. Big f’ing deal.
Comment by fallon greene — January 10, 2008 @ 8:21 pm
John Wells, is and was a writer. Yes, he is also a HUGE producer. And yes, some of the things that we bargained away happened on his tenure as Prez. But I have to say, he’s a fair minded man, and exactly the kind of person that might be palatable to both sides of this — he doesn’t make either side feel 100%, but that’s what I’ve been told happens in negotiations. Neither side will feel like they won, and that’s when the deal that needs to happen will happen. Don’t know if it’s true, but if it is, let’s give John Wells a shot. We were willing to on the eve of the strike if memory serves me, and this is from someone who has never worked with or been passed on by Mr. Wells. As unbiased as I can be about it.
Showrunner
Comment by Showrunner — January 10, 2008 @ 8:45 pm
Hey it is an idea to try somthing NEW but now I see writers here attacking the idea and it’s creators. Sure George said “”you have to live with this and get over it”,but he also said: AMPTP “you have to live with that and get over it”. It IS gonna take compromise to settle this even if you don’t like the idea of compromise. Please don’t create another side fight against these guys! If this idea becomes a reality, whoever declines to participate will lose BIG in public opinion and industry support. Don’t piss this chance away so quickly - give it a shot. You don’t have to ratify a deal you don’t like.
Comment by TranspoBill — January 10, 2008 @ 8:48 pm
Nikki, do you really think that Rupert Murdoch could give a shit what Tom Hanks thinks of him?
These are not your father’s moguls. These guys are bigger than God.
Comment by ????? — January 10, 2008 @ 8:48 pm
This reminds me of the aftermath of the Rodney King verdict, when Sean Penn didn’t quite give a damn about us ‘all just getting along’ until the looters, pillagers, and arsonists were making their way into his neighborhood to baptize his home with molotov cocktails.
Like one of the above posters typed, Clooney and Hanks have some important shindigs to attend next month…
Comment by Alan Smithee, Jr. — January 10, 2008 @ 9:30 pm
I applaud any effort to resolve this. Thousands of below the line people say, “THANK YOU!”
Comment by Andrew — January 10, 2008 @ 9:30 pm
“Observant Public” is absolutely correct that more women need to be involved. The dynamic of the testosterone fest is too broken & needs some smart feminine insight to get proper mediation back on track. Multi-hyphenates who’ve produced and run companies such as Jodie Foster, or business leaders who’ve moved on from Hollywood such as Meg Whitman, could provide valuable help.
Also, will Clooney be able to find 3 or 4 people who actually side with the Hollywood CEOs?
Comment by thom taylor — January 10, 2008 @ 9:31 pm
Drop Wells fast.
Comment by A clue — January 10, 2008 @ 9:45 pm
Who decides which AAA listers are allowed in the room? Who decides which WGA listers are allowed in the room?
This is like the Korean/Vietnam peace talks - it took months just to decide on the shape of the table.
Nice try boys, I hope it works out because I’d love to get back to work. HOWEVER, I don’t want to, for the next few weeks/months, listen to “he can’t come in,” “why not her?,” “that Producer sucks.” We’d be back at square one until the DGA and SAG negotiations start.
Comment by Below the Line — January 10, 2008 @ 9:47 pm
Good for them!!! I’m getting SICK of the actors saying they will stick it out as long as they need to in order to back up their writers. I think the writers deserve what they are asking for, but this strike is taking too long and someone needs to step up and get the 2 parties involved and get it resolved. The actors’ crew members are losing homes, taking their kids out of school, going broke ….below the line doesn’t have the means to ride this out for another 3-6 months.
I have always admired George Clooney and this just shows he is one of the few actors who realize there are HUNDREDS of below the line that are being hurt in this strike.
Arnold hasn’t stepped in yet, so good for George C., Tom Hanks and anyone else that joins them and helps to try to end this!!!!!
ENOUGH already!!!!! STRIKE A DEAL!!!!!
Comment by Anonymous — January 10, 2008 @ 9:47 pm
Why does everyone leap to judgement over the first mention of a vague notion that might or might not happen? Maybe this will be a good thing. Maybe it won’t. Let it unfold before praising it or condemning it.
Comment by Anonymous — January 10, 2008 @ 9:54 pm
A dialogue has to get started. If Clooney and Hanks (perhaps Speilburg) can make it happen then I dont see a harm in letting them try. For those Wells bashers that claim he sold them out. The membership voted to take the deal. Blame them. Just as the membership has to vote to take any deal created here. Bitching and moaning and going on about how unfair your last deal was gets you nothing. Redstone, Murdoch and Iger have more money than god. They will be drinking champagne and eating caviar long after you waste away and lose everything you have while you are standing united and refusing to budge on a single issue. Convince the leadership that Animation and Reality aren’t worth losing your houses over.
Comment by Steve — January 10, 2008 @ 10:38 pm
Correction:
These guys THINK they are bigger than God.
Beware of false idols with clay feet.
Comment by BTL Single Guy — January 10, 2008 @ 10:54 pm
What is with all the negativity? Give Clooney and Hanks some credit for actually trying to get involved. I have to agree with Showrunner and TranspoBill. People need to stop being so militant. This strike is a disaster. Nobody is winning anything here and the longer this goes there is going to be less work for everyone. Unless you guys want to stay out until June or July both sides have to give in a little. Let’s hope there is some follow through here. Nikki is right. If enough A-list movie stars get involved there is a chance of getting them back to the table.
Comment by caught in the middle — January 10, 2008 @ 10:54 pm
AMEN STEVE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by postpord.Guy — January 10, 2008 @ 11:23 pm
I don’t really know about Jon Stewart, but he claims to support the strike yet what are you going to do when it comes time to produce “A Daily Show?” As for Stephen Colbert, it is clear that he is acting. On his show, he plays a ultra-right-wing conservative as evidenced from Monday’s show, and he is doing what the soaps did during the 1988 strike and that is reuse scripts that were already produced.
Comment by Jessy S. — January 10, 2008 @ 11:35 pm