Writers and Actors on the Line

The WGA just announced a new picket event, Bring an Actor Friend to the Line Day, for Tuesday, December 11. I like this event idea. SAG and the WGA have been partners in this from the beginning, and actors have been joining our picket lines every day of the strike. But the focus of this day is a little bit different.

The Speechless campaign has been about promoting the actor/writer relationship and the notion that, without one or the other, we're all speechless. This picket event drives that point home. It's not about getting the biggest, most visible stars out in front of the camera. It's about those individual relationships, based on creative respect, that've resulted in really great collaborations and lasting friendships. There've been some really good ones over the years...favorites of mine include Paul Thomas Anderson and Philip Seymour Hoffman, the Coen brothers and Steve Buscemi, Joss Whedon and Eliza Dushku, Wes Anderson and the Wilson brothers.

Call up a friend and get him or her out there next Tuesday. Just think of it as another type of collaboration until we can all get back to work.