Jane Fonda, one of the hundreds of high-profile actors who signed a letter to SAG-AFTRA leadership saying they are prepared to strike, spoke out about the upcoming contract deadline.

Fonda told The Hollywood Reporter that she plans to walk the picket line with the writers on Thursday and that she wants them to stand strong. She said that actors may join the writers on the picket line and that they will all stand strong together.

Fonda acknowledged that she is in a different position than the average actor, but she believes that actors need to help each other and stand up for each other. She said that one of the key issues in the new SAG-AFTRA deal is artificial intelligence and that they need to make sure that AI does not replace actors. She also said that actors need to make a better living than they can now and that they need to get residuals for streaming work.

Fonda said that writers are essential to the entertainment industry and that actors need to stand with them. She also said that actors cannot become “gig employees” when studio heads have yachts, mansions, and tax breaks that no one else gets. She said that actors need justice and respect and that they need to stand together to get it.

Fonda’s comments come as SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers are racing against the clock to make a deal before the union’s TV and theatrical contracts expire on June 30.

Here are some additional details:

• The letter sent to SAG-AFTRA leadership said that a strike would bring “incredible hardships to so many, and no one wants it.”
• The union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers are currently negotiating a new deal that would cover actors’ pay, working conditions, and residuals.
• If the two sides are unable to reach an agreement, SAG-AFTRA members could go on strike as early as July 1.

Also check- Oscar Winners and 400+ Actors Threaten to Strike if SAG-AFTRA Doesn’t Push for Better Deal