EntertainmentNewsTop StoryUS

‘Breaking Bad’ stars reunite on picket line with actors strike

Amid the heat in Los Angeles, the cast and crew members of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul hit the picket lines at Sony Pictures Studios. Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Betsy Brandt, Rhea Seehorn, Jesse Plemons and Matt Jones were among the stars seen strolling past the familiar rainbow in Culver City. “Honestly, it just feels like it’s just beginning,” Paul told Deadline as the SAG-AFTRA strike approaches Day 50 on Friday. “It’s important for everyone out there to know we’re not going anywhere. … We’re fighting the good fight. We’re standing in solidarity with every SAG member out there, trying to make ends meet, put food on the table and do what we love.” The Associated Press has the story:

‘Breaking Bad’ stars reunite on picket line with actors strike

Newslooks- CULVER CITY, Calif. (AP)

The cast of “Breaking Bad” has reunited to call upon Hollywood studios to resume negotiations with striking screen actors.

“We want you to come back to the table with us,” Bryan Cranston said in a plea to the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers outside Sony Pictures Studios on Tuesday.

Cranston was joined by Aaron Paul, Jesse Plemons and other members of the “Breaking Bad” universe in an effort to energize picket lines more than a month after SAG-AFTRA joined striking Hollywood writers.

Rhea Seehorn, from left, Matt Jones, Bryan Cranston, writer Peter Gould and Betsy Brandt, from the acting and writing team of “Breaking Bad,” speak on a picket line outside Sony Pictures studios on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023, in Culver City, Calif. The film and television industries remain paralyzed by Hollywood’s dual actors and screenwriters strikes. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Both guilds are seeking to address issues brought about by the dominance of streaming services, which have changed all aspects of production and pay in the industry.

“The way things were structured 10 years ago made a lot of sense and it made it more possible for journeymen-type actors, actors in the middle that are working just as a hard or harder,” Plemons said.

By its final season, which aired more than a decade ago, “Breaking Bad” was one of the most watched and highest rated cable TV shows ever.

The AMC hit series has achieved enduring popularity on Netflix, but its stars say that has not been reflected in their pay.

Cast and writers from “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul” Juan Carlos Cantu, from left, Javier Grajeda, Aaron Paul, Charles Baker, Norma Maldonad, Jesse Plemons, Peter Gould, Bryan Cranston and Matt Jones, pose on a picket line outside Sony Pictures studios on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023, in Culver City, Calif. The film and television industries remain paralyzed by Hollywood’s dual actors and screenwriters strikes. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

“I don’t get a piece from Netflix on ‘Breaking Bad’ to be totally honest and that’s insane to me,” Paul said. “I think a lot of these streamers know that they have been getting away with not paying people a fair wage and now it’s time to pony up.”

Cranston said they chose Sony for their reunion as the studio behind the Emmy-winning hit, along with its spinoff projects, the AMC prequel series “Better Call Saul” and the Netflix film, “El Camino.”

“We’re not making them the enemy. They are not villains. These are people that we all will be working with once again at some point,” Cranston said. “We just want them to see reality.”

Aaron Paul, left, and Bryan Cranston, fellow cast members of the television series “Breaking Bad,” walk on a picket line outside Sony Pictures studios on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023, in Culver City, Calif. The film and television industries remain paralyzed by Hollywood’s dual actors and screenwriters strikes. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Several other casts have joined picket lines during the strike, including actors from “Parks and Recreation” and the cult hit “Jury Duty,” drawing a link between popular shows and the actors’ strike goals.

Cranston also affirmed SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher’s recent comments to The Associated Press that these dual Hollywood strikes are galvanizing a broader movement throughout the country.

Aaron Paul, left, and Jesse Plemons, pose on a picket line outside Sony Pictures studios on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023, in Culver City, Calif. The film and television industries remain paralyzed by Hollywood’s dual actors and screenwriters strikes. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

“Without organized labor, management will just keep stuffing their pockets. They don’t and will not ever just go, ‘You know what? I don’t think this is being fair to those people. I’m going to pay them more.’ It’s just not what they do,” he said.

Cast members of “Better Call Saul” were also on the picket lines, including Rhea Seehorn and Patrick Fabian, along with the series co-creator, Peter Gould, who has been on strike with the Writers Guild of America since May.

Read more entertainment news

Previous Article
GA case defendant who spent time in jail is released on bond
Next Article
Trump New York fraud lawsuit: AG seeks immediate verdict

How useful was this article?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 0 / 5. Vote count: 0

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this article.

Latest News

Menu