Disney CEO Bob Iger has been criticised for saying writers and actors are not being “realistic” with their strike expectations, and calling the prospect of the strike “disturbing”.
During an appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box on Thursday morning (13 July), hours before the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (Sag-Aftra) began striking, Iger said the decision by the actors’ and writers’ unions to go on strike was “very disturbing to me”.
He said: “We’ve talked about disruptive forces on this business and all the challenges we’re facing, the recovery from Covid, which is ongoing, it’s not completely back.
“This is the worst time in the world to add to that disruption.”
Iger, 72, added: “I understand any labour organisation’s desire to work on behalf of its members to get the most compensation and be compensated fairly based on the value that they deliver.
“We managed, as an industry, to negotiate a very good deal with the directors’ guild that reflects the value that the directors contribute to this great business.
“We wanted to do the same thing with the writers, and we’d like to do the same thing with the actors. There’s a level of expectation that they have that is just not realistic.
“And they are adding to the set of the challenges that this business is already facing that is, quite frankly, very disruptive.”
Strike action began after a midnight deadline on Wednesday (12 July) for negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) came and went without a deal.
Sag-Aftra approved its membership of 160,000 TV and film actors to begin striking and join screenwriters who’ve been picketing since May – a historic move that will effectively shut down Hollywood, which hasn’t happened in over 60 years.
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There has been a considerable backlash to Iger’s comments. She-Hulk writer Cody Ziglar tweeted: “The residual check from my episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law was $396.
“This was one of the most watched episodes of television, of one of the most watched television series on Disney +. Even made multiple ‘best episodes of 2022’ lists. My residual check was $396. This is why we’re striking.”
Lampooning the millionaire businessman’s inability to empathise with low-paid writers and actors, another critic wrote: “Then he drove away in a solid gold, diamond-encrusted Lamborghini.”
Iger is expected to earn up to $27m (approximately £20.1m) in 2023.
Bob Iger— (Getty Images)
“Yes, strikes are very disruptive. So is poverty,” added another.
“We don’t care what ‘disturbs’ you, Bob. Your salary is what’s disturbing,” a third posted.
The Independent has contacted Iger for comment.
Zack Arnold, the co-editor of Netflix’s Cobra Kai, told The Independent that the strike was caused by a “perfect storm” of streaming dominance, which has led to the erosion of residual pay, and the advent of AI in the industry.
