Hollywood stars celebrate deal to end strike: ‘Let’s get back to work!’

Actors heaped effusive praise on the "tentative agreement" reached between major film and television studios on Wednesday, which ended the longest strike in Hollywood’s history.

The union of Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), which represents around 160,000 members, has been on strike since 14 July causing major disruption to Hollywood productions.

The 118-day-long strike officially ended at 12.01am on 9 November and the tentative deal will go to the SAG-AFTRA National Board on Friday for review and consideration, SAG-AFTRA said.

Fran Drescher, the president of SAG-AFTRA who led the negotiations, said: “We did it!!!!"

"The Billion+ $ Deal! 3X the last contract! New ground was broke everywhere!Ty sag aftra members for hanging in and holding out for this historic deal! Ty neg comm, strike captains, staff, Duncan & Ray, our lawyers, the IA team , family and friends. Our sister unions for their unrelenting support! And the amptp for hearing us and meeting this moment!”

Octavia Spencer, Alec Baldwin, Mandy Moore, and Jamie Lee Curtis were among the stars who took to social media to hail the deal.

Academy award winner Octavia Spencer wrote: "Who else is dancing right now? Ready to work now that the strike is over."

She added: "Thank you sagaftra negotiators and leadership for getting us over the finish line!!! Gratitude is the attitude!!

"And grateful to all those who walked the walked (picketers, strike captains, our fellow union brothers and sisters etc)," she added.

Actor Zac Efron, who was on the red carpet at the premiere of The Iron Claw, said: "Incredible, I'm so happy that we're all able to come to an agreement, let's get back to work, I'm so stoked.

"I literally just found out a minute ago so this is great news, congrats everybody we did it, love you guys, let's go."

Actor Alec Baldwin captioned a celebratory Instagram video: "Congratulations to each and every person, on both sides, who are responsible for this great occasion."

Academy award winner Jamie Lee Curtis shared a post on her Instagram: "Well done Fran". Stranger Things actor Noah Schnapp said: "We did it!!!!"

Abbott Elementary creator-turned-star Quinta Brunson wrote: "Oh, we're very back."

Hawaii Five-0 actor Daniel Dae Kim wrote on social media X: "Woo hooo!!!! Let's hope the deal is fair and we can get back to work!"

Actor Kumail Nanjiani added: “YES!!! Hallelujah. I can tweet a certain trailer that I am VERY EXCITED ABOUT at midnight.”

Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass said she was "grateful" that a fair agreement was reached. "Now, we have to ensure that our entertainment industry and economy rebounds stronger than ever," she added.

The deal comes after the union’s negotiating committee spent days deliberating over several items it deemed “essential”, including artificial intelligence.

It followed a “last, best and final” offer from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) – the group representing studios, streaming services, and producers in negotiations.

It comes weeks after the union confirmed industry chief executives had “walked away from the bargaining table” after refusing to counter its latest offer, sparking “profound disappointment”.

The terms of the new three-year contract have not yet been revealed. On Friday, the deal will go to the union’s national board for approval.

The months of Hollywood strikes are estimated to have cost the Southern California economy more than $6.5bn (£5.2bn) and 45,000 entertainment industry jobs, according to Deadline.

Many film and TV sets shut down when the Writers Guild of America (WGA) called a strike in the spring. While WGA members returned to penning scripts in late September, the ongoing SAG-AFTRA work stoppage left many productions dark.

The disruptions cost California more than $6bn (£4.8bn) in lost output, according to a Milken Institute estimate.

With little work available, many prop masters, costume designers and other crew members struggled to make ends meet. FilmLA, the group that approves filming permits, reported scripted production during the week of Oct. 29 had fallen 77 per cent from the same time a year earlier.

The Hollywood strikes came during a year of other high-profile job actions. The United Auto Workers recently ended six weeks of walkouts at Detroit carmakers. Teachers, nurses and healthcare workers also walked off the job.

Hollywood’s work stoppages forced broadcast networks to fill their fall lineups with re-runs, games shows and reality shows. It also led movie studios to delay big releases such as “Dune: Part 2” because striking actors could not promote them.

Other major films, including the latest installment of the “Mission: Impossible” franchise and Disney’s live-action remake of animated classic “Snow White,” were postponed until 2025.

Additional reporting by agencies.