Photograph: Andrew Kelly/Reuters
Dwayne Johnson, star of Black Adam and the Fast and Furious franchise, has made a “major, historic” financial contribution to the Sag-Aftra Foundation Relief Fund, which provides emergency assistance to union members during strike action.
According to a report in Variety, Johnson’s “seven-figure donation” arrived in response to a letter sent by the foundation’s president Courtney B Vance to 2,700 of the highest-earning actors in the film industry.
Sag-Aftra Foundation’s executive director Cyd Wilson said: “It’s the largest single donation that we’ve ever received from one individual at one time. And what is amazing is that that one cheque is going to help thousands of actors keep food on their table.”
Vance added: “I want to thank Dwayne for his tremendous generosity, compassion, and initiative to step up in this significant and meaningful way for our community. On behalf of the thousands who will be helped by his historic donation, thank you.”
The Sag-Aftra Foundation, originally established in 1985 by the Screen Actors Guild, is a non-profit organisation running a variety of assistance programmes for union members. Wilson said many Sag-Aftra members face “financial ruin” during the strike, and that even before the strike began the foundation was receiving “five to 10 times [the number of requests for financial aid] that we would normally process in a week and [we] think that is going to continue to increase”.
