It’s been over a week since the SAG-AFTRA actors’ strike was ordered, and the sightings are only getting more interesting with each passing day. The latest viral moment to come out of the picket line is a stuntpersonal actually lighting himself on fire to bring forth a powerful message about how SAG members feels “burned” by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which has failed to strike a deal with both writers and actors unions.
The Hunger Games actress and stuntwoman Elena Sanchez posted the below video on Instagram on Monday. Check it out:
The stunt was pulled off by Stunts Unlimited at a strike rally in Atlanta, Georgia, which had thousands of stunt workers and members of SAG-AFTRA attending. Mike Massa – a stunt coordinator who has often played stunt double to Harrison Ford, most recently in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, along with recently being part of the Stranger Things and Free Guy stunt team – was the man on fire. He wore a mask and suit and held up a SAG-AFTRA picket sign as he stood on stage and lifted up his fist.
Fire stunts are rather dangerous things to perform, but Massa did so safely with the help of a fire crew from the Stunts Unlimited team. Along with major actors like George Clooney speaking out about the SAG-AFTRA strike, stunt actors are also negotiating new contracts with the AMPTP. They are specifically hoping studios will pay residuals to stunt actors along with paying overtime to help compensate for the “abusively long hours” they spend on sets during movie and TV productions, per Polygon.
Ever since the SAG-AFTRA actors strike was called July 14, there has been all sort of sightings of famed actors on the picket line. Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe recently was spotted with his newborn baby and partner, and Haunted Mansion and Ahsoka actress Rosario Dawson shared she was fighting to not be “living off ramen” by being part of the strike. The SAG-AFTRA strike follows the WGA writers strike, which has been going on since May 1.
As the strike continues, productions are shutting down and 2023 new movie releases could be delayed, including Dune Part 2, since the stars of the film cannot promote their films while on strike. Blue Beetle already cancelled its press tour and Haunted Mansion had its premiere without its stars in attendance.
Not every actor is out of work. A list of fully independent movies has been approved by SAG-AFTRA to resume filming, leaving actors like Jenna Ortega, Matthew McConaughey and Paul Rudd with jobs on production sets. The strikes are historic for Hollywood, considering both actors and writers have not both been on strike at the same time since 1960. The stunt this week in Georgia hopes to make a big statement as the stunt community is out of work and picketing with writers and actors.