Dwayne Johnson has stepped up for his fellow actors with a seven-figure donation to the fund helping keep striking artists afloat.
“The Rock” is living up to his moniker with a gift that will help thousands of the actors who are losing income and don’t have funds to bridge the gap, SAG-AFTRA Foundation president Courtney B. Vance told Variety on Monday.
The foundation is a nonprofit affiliated with the union headed by Fran Drescher. Actors were just emerging from the crisis engendered by the COVID pandemic when first the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike and then the SAG-AFTRA strike hit.
As the SAG strike began earlier this month, Vance and foundation executive director Cyd Wilson appealed to 2,700 of the union’s highest-paid actors for help during yet another potential fiscal crisis for many of their lower-earning colleagues.
Johnson’s team responded soon after the appeal letter went out, Vance said. A phone call ensued that Vance described as a “love fest” of a conversation that included donation specifics and the implicit message that this ups the ante for others in a position to do the same.
The size of the donation was not disclosed.
“It is a call to arms for all of us to know that we just have to step up however you can,” Vance said. “Dwayne is letting everyone know, ‘I’m here. What are you going to do?’”
Not long after the strike began, a Hollywood executive was quoted as saying, “The endgame is to allow things to drag on until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses.”
The remark suggested the work stoppage may be a long haul.
“It’s the largest single donation that we’ve ever received from one individual at one time,” Wilson told Variety. “And what is amazing is that that one check is going to help thousands of actors keep food on their table, and keep their kids safe, and keep their cars running. And it’s not lost on me that he’s very humble about this, but it is a way to get us started.”
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