Movie stars make millions, but many working actors struggle to make ends meet – an issue that has become more aware thanks to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. While the union members fight Hollywood studios for fair contractsone of the world’s most famous performers is sharing some of his good fortune.
According to a report in Diversity, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson made a “seven-figure donation,“The exact amount has not been disclosed, to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation (“a nonprofit organization affiliated with, but not part of, the union”), responding to a plea sent to the union’s 2,700 highest-paid members to help offset financial hardship caused by the strike. (The union has a total of 160,000 members, according to the trade, so you can see how unbalanced the scales are.)
“We rely on donations and grants to provide services,” the group’s executive director Cyd Wilson told Variety, noting that the group also turned to its more financially able members for help during the pandemic. “But when we have a crisis like this and we’re going to spend millions and millions of dollars in financial aid, that’s when we need our high-profile talent who can handle it, who are in a position to help others.”
Added Wilson, “It’s the largest single donation we’ve ever received from an individual at one time. And what’s amazing is that one check will help thousands of actors keep food on their table, keep their kids safe, and keep their cars running. And it’s not lost on me that he’s very humble about it, but it’s a way to start.”
Head to Diversity to read the full interview with Wilson and SAG-AFTRA Foundation president Courtney B. Vance — and here’s hoping other actors with deep pockets step up to help others in their industry.
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