The Rundown
(by AM Staff)
(Photo: Jon Tyson/Unsplash)
Hello, actors! We hope you’ve had an amazing and safe week.
Here are some of the stories we’ve been following this week, along with a few of our latest articles and columns:
Hollywood tries to open back up, The Old Guard kicks butt, 5 Ways Covid-19 is changing the actor’s life, SAG-AFTRA members ratify a new film/TV contract, Voice Actors fight back against white-washing, Asian American actors fight racism and the LGBTQ community gets Hallmark Channel storylines.
Charlize Theron and KiKi Layne Kick Butt in The Old Guard
(The Old Guard)
If you want a blend of great action and great acting, you’ll definitely love one of Netflix’s hottest original movies, The Old Guard.
The film’s star, Charlize Theron, carries the film with the same beauty, charisma, charm and depth-of-character which has always made her a star. Those traits shine, once again, in this film.
But the most brilliant acting performance was put on by, arguably, the film’s real star, KiKi Layne. Layne’s natural acting talent will have you one-hundred percent convinced that she is a Marine who is coming to terms with her newly discovered, special “gift”.
This film is also a worthwhile watch for its behind-the-scenes trailblazer. With The Old Guard, the film’s director, Gina Prince-Bythewood, becomes the first black female director to have a film in Netflix’s top 10 most-streamed movies.
Hollywood Charges Forward with Production Plans Despite Virus Surge
(Photo: Ahmet Yalcinkaya/Unsplash)
Studios keep plotting a return to filming in states including California, New York, Georgia and Illinois as they hash out details of on-set COVID-19 protocols with the guilds.
The rising COVID-19 case count in the U.S. may have prompted the rolling back of business reopenings in select states, but it’s yet to significantly impact film and TV production plans.
Sources on the ground in states including California, Georgia and New York tell The Hollywood Reporter that film and TV series that’d been gearing up for production are still very much doing so, though principal photography on most domestic projects isn’t expected to begin for another couple months. Up until this point, the bulk of filming has been done in international territories as novel coronavirus numbers keep escalating in the U.S.
Do you know why SAG merged with AFTRA? Do you know why Actors’ Equity Association was created? Do you know how labor unions benefit actors? Do you know how to join an actor union?
Here are some basic facts about the main actor unions inside the United States that you might not know…
Asian-American SAG-AFTRA Members Fight Back Against Racism
“Tell Me a Little About Yourself”
(Photo: Sergio de Paula/Unsplash)
During the interview, the actor may be asked about their areas of interest, activities they like to do, things they enjoy. These questions are often summed up with one simple question:
“Tell me a little about yourself”
What should an actor say and what shouldn’t they say, when asked this question?
SAG-AFTRA Members Ratify New Film & TV Contract
SAG-AFTRA members have ratified their new film and TV contract, voting 74.2% to 25.8% to approve the three-year deal, with a turnout of 27.15% of the union’s 145,000 voting members.
The vote, which was widely viewed as a referendum on the guild’s leadership, is a major victory for president Gabrielle
Carteris and national executive director David White, who touted the deal’s “record-breaking” $318 million in gains. They include a 26% increase in residuals from high-budget streaming shows, $54 million in additional funding for the union’s health plan and added sexual harassment and nude scene protections.
5 Ways the Actor’s Life Might Change After the Coronavirus
(Photo: United Nations/Unsplash)
COVID-19 is forcing the entire entertainment industry to adjust. Some of those adjustments will be temporary. But many of those adjustments will end up becoming a permanent way of life.
Some of these changes will be good for everyone. Some will not be so good for everyone. But good or bad, you must adjust.
Voice Actors become more conscientious about white-washing
In the wake of nationwide protests against police brutality, calls for change have reached far into the corners of pop culture, from old comedy shows removing blackface episodes to an infamously named football team finally ditching its racist moniker to surprising upheavals within the TV voice acting industry.
Several white voice actors from popular TV shows, who were originally cast to play characters of color, have stepped away from their roles in order to encourage the show’s producers to recast them authentically. In doing so, they’ve acknowledged the long-standing problem of whitewashing in the voice acting industry, and the detrimental effect it’s had on actors of color and the quest for meaningful representation in Hollywood.
Hallmark Channel to Feature New LGBTQ Storylines
Hallmark movies will be more diverse in the near future.
On Thursday, amid criticism that none of the company’s 40 upcoming holiday
movies feature an LGBTQ lead, a Hallmark Channel spokesperson told “Good Morning America” that change is coming.
In the coming months, the representative said, Hallmark will make announcements about “projects featuring LGBTQ storylines, characters and actors.”
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