The historic Hollywood actors’ strike of 2023 was never a total blackout. While the majority of stars were stuck twiddling thumbs at their mansions, there were waivers given to some films to either progress with production or carry on with promotion. Certain rules allowed for certain things such as an actor who is also a director showing up at a premiere or an actor hosting Saturday Night Live due to a difference in the contract involved. But that latter magic hall pass came with a key caveat: said actor could not hawk the film or show that got them the gig in the first place.
Just days before last week’s SNL host Timothée Chalamet took to the stage, a deal was finally struck after 118 days of picketing and so the actor became one of the first notable stars to double up as salesman once again. Allowed to openly highlight his starring role in this December’s Wonka, Chalamet addressed the unshackling in his monologue, gleefully tweaking the lyrics to Pure Imagination: “Come with me and you’ll be in a world of shameless self-promotion.” He wasn’t the only one luring us back there as the weekend saw a quick flurry of social media posts, public appearances and interview opportunities, actors desperately trying to make up for lost time.
