Fran Drescher and George Clooney.Photo:VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty; ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty

Fran Drescher Says George Clooney’s Reaction to SAG-AFTRA Deal ‘Made Me So Happy’

VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty; ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty

Fran Drescherwas happy withGeorge Clooney’s reaction to the deal that ended the actors' strike.

After the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA)reached an agreementwith the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) this week to end theactors' strike, Drescher, the guild’s president, toldExtrathat Clooney, 62, commended her.

“George Clooney said, ‘I would have bet my house and lost that you couldn’t get the deal that you got, that you wouldn’t have gotten past a billion dollars.’ And, you know, that just made me so happy," said Drescher, 66.

Drescher also opened up about how proud she was of the deal, which the union valued to be worth about $1 billion.

Fran Drescher address picketers in New York City.

Fran Drescher addresses picketers at New York City Hall on Tuesday as members of the actors SAG-AFTRA union continue to walk the picket line with screenwriters outside of major studios across the country on August 01, 2023

“There was so much meat on the bone that we did get,” she said. “It is such a triumph, such an extraordinary contract with so much in it that makes it meaningful for the lives of all of our members and, really, for generations to come. That was also important, because I think that this is a historic time, and we needed a seminal negotiation to match it.”

SAG-AFTRA member George and his wifeAmal Clooneywere among the Hollywood stars whodonated $1 million or moreto theSAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Emergency Financial Assistance Program back in August.

George said in astatementat the time, “We stand ready to get back to the table and make a fair deal with the AMPTP. Until then, I’m proud to be able to support the SAG-AFTRA Foundation and my fellow actors who may be struggling in this historic moment."

Amal and George Clooney.Cindy Ord/Getty

Amal Clooney and George Clooney at the Clooney Foundation For Justice’s The Albies held at The New York Public Library

Cindy Ord/Getty

The actor’s strikebegan July 14. SAG members were seeking better compensation and benefit plans, along with protection against the impact of artificial intelligence on their work.

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Fran Drescher and National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland on July 13, 2023.CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty

Fran Drescher (L) looks on as National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland speaks during a press conference at the labor union’s headquarters in Los Angeles, California, on July 13, 2023

CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty

The statement added, “We have arrived at a contract that will enable SAG-AFTRA members from every category to build sustainable careers. Many thousands of performers now and into the future will benefit from this work.”

Meanwhile, the AMPTP said the agreement “represents a new paradigm.”

“It gives SAG-AFTRA the biggest contract-on-contract gains in the history of the union, including the largest increase in minimum wages in the last 40 years; a brand new residual for streaming programs; extensive consent and compensation protections in the use of artificial intelligence; and sizable contract increases on items across the board."

“The AMPTP is pleased to have reached a tentative agreement and looks forward to the industry resuming the work of telling great stories," AMPTP added.

source: people.com