SAG-AFTRA, Hollywood’s largest union, representing 160,000 television and film performers, walked off the job on July 14 demanding higher base wages and residual pay from streaming TV as well as restrictions on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in entertainment.

The same issues were at the centre of the writers strike.

In the area of artificial intelligence, actors want to protect their images and work from being replaced by computer-generated “digital replicas”.

At the same time, they are seeking compensation that reflects the value they bring to the relatively new frontier of streaming, specifically in the form of revenue sharing.

Other demands from actors include limits on self-taped auditions used in casting, which they argue are more costly to them than in-person readings. They also demanding assurances of greater racial equity on the set, including provision of hair and makeup artists capable of working with varied hair textures and skin tones.

The resumption of contract talks between the actors and studios also coincided with network television’s late-night hosts — Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers and Jimmy Kimmel — bringing their shows back to television on Monday. Comedian John Oliver returned to HBO’s Last Week Tonight on Sunday.

Reuters