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Keeping One Leg Up on the SAG-Aftra Strike With Tony Welch · OneLegUpAlex Media

0:02
Here's your host, Alex Derrett. Well, guess what. The w GA
0:08
and Hollywood has reached intendative deal. Now Tony Welch is on my line.
0:14
We've talked to him about his role in The Irishman. He is an actor
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and one of I'm sure one of the one hundred and sixty thousand actors that
0:21
also want fair wage as well in the saga after strike. But Tony,
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thanks for joining me today. Sure, thanks a sorry, thanks for asking
0:29
me to be on. I appreciate it. Love to have you on last
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time. So I figured let's pick up the conversation because you know what is
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what is your main issue? Why did you decide to, you know,
0:39
join the line if you will, because I'm sure every actor to. But
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what was your purpose? What was your drive? Well, for me personally,
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I mean this, this this strike is really about and has been about
0:51
the middle income color so to speak type actor. It's not about the A
0:58
listers, I mean the A listers. This has nothing to do with them.
1:00
This is a minimum basic agreement contract and they listeners don't work on a
1:04
minimum basic agreement contract. So this is this is I agree because you know,
1:11
the the union of the the AMPTP. The producers have been working on
1:17
a contract that is antiquated. I mean it was called a SAG after developed
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a what they call a new media agreement, a new media contract when Netflix
1:29
was virtually brand new, I mean, you know, and and they called
1:32
the new media because well, you know, it's it's unproven. We don't
1:36
know if it's going to be successful, we don't know how it's going to
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work out. So let's just, you know, go with a slow contract.
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Let's not make it a big deal, and we'll see what happens.
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That was, you know, the producers take on it. Well, it's
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no longer new, it's not new at all. And it's very successful.
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It's been proven to be successful, very profitable for the studios, uh and
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the streaming platforms, but not so much the actors and the writers, you
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know. And and this is the problem. So it's a it's a it's
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a very old contract. It's a very old formula, and it needs to
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be updated to the what we're dealing with right now, which is streaming is
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in an all time high. Network television is not as successful as it used
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to be. I mean, you know, this generation of people, they're
2:22
just they're basically what they're doing is they're streaming more. They're streaming more and
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more and so but we're not seeing the profits on that. So this is
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why I decided with most of my other sag after members to join the line.
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I mean, eighty seven percent of the sag after membership does not qualify.
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They don't make enough money to purchase the sag after health insurance, the
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sag After health and you have to make between twenty six and twenty seven thousand
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dollars just as an actor to be able to buy it to the sag After
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health plan. And that's not a lot of money by twenty six twenty seven,
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and they're not making that. Some of them are not coming to that
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figure as actors. So it's it's high time that you know they a lot
3:07
of people out there are under the impression that this is all about the A
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listers and they don't need the money. They're super rich, they leadest.
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This strike is not about them. It's never been about them. So that's
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why a couple of thoughts here. Then, what's it like though to see
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any list or like a George Clooney or I think Brian Cranston, I mean
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some of these guys have joined the line. Cherio Terry did a TikTok yes
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on the lines as well. Does that matter? Does that mean a lot?
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Does that matter to you guys who are mean a lot? Okay,
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it does mean a lot. Yeah, absolutely means a lot. It means
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that they understand. I mean because a lot of the let me tell you
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a lot. I mean other than the and I don't want to bring up
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a controversial subs, but other than the Neppo babies that's been an issue in
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controversial of the book issue in Hollywood lately. Other than those those group of
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actors. A lot of those actors that we listed a night listens now at
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one point or another have didn't in our shoes at one point, you know,
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they didn't. They didn't come out of the gate, you know,
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getting off the multime thing dollar contracts. A lot of them, they work
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their way up so they understand. And I'm more grateful that they understand.
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And it's important because it's important that the producers see that they these A listers
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are backing us that you know, they can't do. They may think they
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can do without us as little guys, but they can't do without these A
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listers and if the A listers are backing us, it means, you know,
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a great deal, and we were all very appreciative of that. We
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actually do you know Frem Dresser, because I know she's basically the union president,
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isn't she? Yes, yeah, yes she is, and uh yeah,
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I mean and she's I tell you, I'm gonna be honest with you.
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Originally I did not vote for her, but now seeing the way she's
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handled this, I've gained tremendous respect for her and uh and what she's done
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and what she stands for us. Now you know, I did vote for
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her again this time around, but the first time around I did not.
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And she's she's strong, and she understands what we need, and she understands
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that you know, there's a big anti unfortunately to a degree big I don't
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want to get political, but an anti union movement in the country. And
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you know this. You know that they're coming at the unions. I mean,
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you aw is on string now, They're coming at the unions. And
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basic way she understands that this this contract was pretty much do a diet.
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That to be ably dramatic for us because if we if we caved in on
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this this contract three years from now, who knows will be happy. I
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mean they want to they want to virtually abolish background actors with AI okay altogether.
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They want to scan a background actor one time and use their image and
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perpetuity and just pay them one time, all right, and then that that
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dacs them out. Uh. And that's a that's a big part of the
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union membership unfortunately, because like I said, eighty seven percent don't make at
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the least twenty six twenty seven dozen dollars years actors. So and also lead
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tod AI. I think that the audience would notice it and probably look pretty
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bad just just throwing that out there too. Well, it would would.
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I don't know how we'll look for background uh, you know, possibly,
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but you know that was the main issue right now from background. But they
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I think the concern was that they if they do it for back around a
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couple of years from now, what are they gonna try to do with like
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principal actors, the actors that are actually the main actors that will speak lines
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and things like that. How can they how can they get away with that?
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They'll they'll try if if they're allowed, they'll try so that was the
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main concern there. So I'm so glad you're talking about this because I wondered
6:15
as the Irishman, and I mentioned this in the show My show last night,
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the CGI worked on to make these guys look years younger was ridiculous and
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was that sort of a bell Weather movie in the sense of, well,
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if they can really make these guys look younger by you know, on a
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streaming thing? Was that a bell Weather movie? Meaning could that be the
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future? Well, I don't know. I mean to go back to that
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briefly. I mean that was more of say that that was a Montscossese from
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what I understand, decision altogether. Monscossese, he has he was interviewed.
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I mean Netflix has had behind the scenes like little mini documentaries on The Irishman
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if you if you go into Netflix, you'll see them. And Montscossese he
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was in a boost talking with Opporcinobadanio, Hobby kaitel Uh, and he was
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talking about the fact that he did not want to hire younger actors for this
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piece because he didn't want to explain the history involve all the history of the
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Bay of Pigs and Kennedy and all that kind of stuff to younger actors.
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That's what he said. That that's it's documented on film there. So he
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chose to use the older actors and dage them. So do any of the
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actors that you work with. I know, you actually literally got to work
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or seam without Pacino. They never talked to you about this kind of stuff
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though, right? Did they ever worry? Did they ever been to you
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like, oh my god, No, No, not to me. No,
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no, I don't think No, not to me. They didn't know.
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But I don't know how they felt about it. I guess you know,
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it's weird. I mean, no one and also one that was happening,
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no one knew how it was really going to look at the time.
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You know, you don't know how that's going to look until the post production
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and h you know, in the middle of it, they don't know.
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They're hoping it's gonna be okay, it's gonna look good, or it's gonna
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look feasible, but no one really knew. No, they didn't speak to
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me, to me about that, But tony one hundred and sixty thousand members
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and Psyche after and I feel like all of you have various personalities, different
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personalities so on this the solidarity and of course, Hollywood, let's be honest
8:07
as a back it can be a backbiting, backstabbing kind of thing, right,
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So sure for one hundred and sixty thousand people, because that's what guys
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are, your people in addition to being actors, your people, to come
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together real people. Like those commercials say, but what they're real people,
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not actors, right, But got had to be that. That means something,
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and that's something that the average person in the layment, if you will,
8:30
should pick up on that. Oh my gosh, all these actors probably
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have egos and personalities, all came together and said, no, we are
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in this together. That's almost unseen in the in the entertainment industry, isn't
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it. Yeah. Well, this is the first time, I think nineteen
8:45
sixteen someone in the sixties that both the Righteous Guilt and the actors went on
8:50
strike at the same time, well virtually at the same time. So this
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was a Hollywood show, I mean, the Director's Guilt of America. They
8:56
they they they've settled their contract ealy on in the Pride, but really they
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are on strike too because even though they set up the contract, they can't
9:05
work without the writers and the actors, so they've been sitting this out too.
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But this strike is also not to be corny or anything. But as
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friends restaurants and many have said, this strike is also about the average worker.
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I mean, AI can and probably will affect many of us forgets to
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come in all industries are right, I mean, if they can replace actors
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and they can replace a worker on the line, what else can they do
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with it? You know, So a lot of middle class, blue collar
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hard label workers are threatened by this, okay, I mean just an implied
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Hollywood. So you know that's an issue. Fair wages are an issue if
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you look at that the CEO salaries, the CEO salaries, what some make
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in an hour. People don't make any ear and that's a fact that's ridiculous.
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So there's no reason for that because I mean, and without the worker,
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again, not to be corny or you know, traumatic without the worker,
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how much is that CEO are going to be successful? Let's be out
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how much? Oh my gos, That's exactly what I said last night.
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I said, you know, these Hollywood industry executives and executives across the board
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should understand that. And I hate to say the guy in the back room.
10:07
But that's what it kind of feels like when you're in the background,
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right the guy in the back room writing, the guy on the set behind
10:13
George Cooney making that scene happen. And the hours on the set, I
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mean we talked about set life a lot. Ten hours, twelve hours on
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the set. I mean, that's a human labor thing right there, and
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without your hard work, they don't make the money. And I feel like
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there's a very capitalistic issue because it involves pushing into the capitalistic market of of
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the entertainment industry. And you guys are are, yes, human capital,
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but you're making the money by being there for ten hours a day, so
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they have to recognize that. Of course, Well we hope they do want
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they hope they do that. I mean, you know, one of the
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one of the getting mpt AMPTP. But the slogans what's frits, Well,
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you know they're gonna let us And I'm sure you even heard about it.
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It was very popular. Unfortunately, it was very popular slogan that like got
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got the members crazy, the mempship they Brown Perman went on like I think
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Instagram, the actor round Perman and almost for one of the executives. But
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it was like that they were going to let they wanted. They were going
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to hold out the APTP until the writers and the actors and all these other
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people started losing their homes and not being able to pay rents and not being
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able to live. And then because it was a necessary evil if they had
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to teach us a lesson, because we were being greedy by asking for small
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percentages of of of increases where these guys were making yearly, they were making
11:31
yearly salaries for us, they were making it an hour, So it's ridiculous.
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It's like, you know, and then we're gonna hopefully try to just
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squeeze us out and make us wait it out until you know, we lost
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everything, and then we'd come groveling back to the negotiation table. Let me
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tell you why that was such a bad strategy. Okay, First of all,
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like I said, eighty seven percent of the SAG after the membership can't
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make twenty six twenty seven dozen dollars to get a body and health insurance.
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Do you really think any of those actors were paying their molas. Your rent
11:58
solely from me come made by acting. They had three fourth side gigs.
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They have this temper of each job. They have a second era, I
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mean, And so what they would have done is they would have picked up
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an additional side gig, an additional job to make to make the difference.
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How many jobs do you work right now? Well, all right now,
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I'm puntionately be tired, and you know I had gig work. So you
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know, I could work at the at the trade center, or I can
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work at the each have at center, So it depends. But my point,
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there's a lot of them will work. They were working side gigs anyway,
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because if you're making twenty seven dozen dollars a year, you getting health
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insurance, that's probably the most you'll make for the eighty seven percent that I'm
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talking about. But a lot of them make a lot less than that,
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so they have to have other jobs. So you know that we would have
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waited as long as we needed to the majority of this membership, we would
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have wait because we're not losing homes because we're not making money in the industry.
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We weren't making different money in the industry to start with, which is
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what this strike is all about. So you know, so that that's why
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it's really uh So going back to what I'm talking about is that this is
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about everybody. This is about the middle class, blue collar worker, middle
13:05
class, I guess, white collar worker. Two. I mean, you
13:09
know that worked for Fortune five Hunt companies and the sea always make ridiculous leagues
13:13
orbing an amounts of money, and they cry and complain when they have to
13:18
give an increase of two or three percent. So you know, this is
13:20
why we're at a point now. And that in combination with the fact that
13:26
again there's a there's a bit of an anti union push in this country,
13:30
and it's going to be a tough of war and we're gonna see what happens
13:33
here because I don't know about the leader sometimes in various unions, but but
13:39
the guys and gals in the union themselves are are not communists? Can we
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just say that right now? I feel like there's a there's a there out
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there that if we're communists because you want a living wage, and they guess
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we're communists, you know, communists because you want to be paid for you
13:52
know, sharing the wealth. I mean again without the hard working labor of
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the writers, the directors, the actors, and the make up more through
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people, the hair stylists on the sets, the grips, the electrations that
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the team's destructors on the sets and locations and all that. These guys won't
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make most of the money. Part of the problem was though, with some
14:11
of these streaming platforms, for example, Amazon and Apple, Okay, they
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make a bulk of them income and they have their fortunes from other sources of
14:22
income. See, so they were able to wait a little bit. They
14:24
thought they were gonna wait a little bit longer. I mean, you know,
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Amazon has Amazon, Apple has the iPhone and computers, but you know
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some of the other companies they don't. They're called the legacy studios. Like
14:37
you know, NBC has Peacock, but they don't make money from any anything
14:41
else but you know, content, creative content. So so that was they
14:45
started finding amongst themselves. Near the end of these negotiations States produces, by
14:50
the way, because you know, some fault, they can wait it out
14:52
forever. They didn't need anybody to come back, and the other ones,
14:56
the other legacy studios, needed us to come back as soon as possible.
15:00
So we'll see what happens. But this is still not over just yet.
15:01
I would imagine it's going to be another week before everything gets ratified, and
15:09
then and then even then, so if the writers go back to work,
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maybe in a week or two, you know, maybe they'll they'll tighten up
15:16
some scripts that were already in production. You know, they'll they'll start working
15:18
on new storylines for stories, whatever the case may be. We still have
15:22
to get sick after fixing and worked out. So hopefully the produces and then
15:26
people go back to the negotiating table. Hopefully by the end of this coming
15:31
week, we'll see what Tony. Tony Watcher is my guest, and I
15:33
know that you're an award winning actor as well. We can get into that
15:35
a little bit. But but but I want to ask you this because how
15:41
much did you make Did you notice the difference individuals when you were on you
15:45
know, terrestrial television verse streaming. Did you notice a difference or or what
15:50
well, I mean, you know, yeah, I mean the thing is
15:52
is that it's from points. This even applies to the writers, particularly the
15:56
writers too. A lot of the writers that are seasoned and they're inabit in
16:00
Hollywood. The years they had they used to work on network television series.
16:07
All right, one hour drama, it's okay and the regular network series used
16:11
to be twenty twenty two, twenty four, sometimes twenty six episodes a season,
16:17
all right. Now they've bounced over to streaming where oftentimes you'll get a
16:22
limited series of six to eight episodes, sometimes the full season's ten to twelve
16:25
episodes, fourteen episodes, and then that that series ends until the next season.
16:30
Sometimes the next season as a year a year and a half later.
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So they're working for they're working with less episodes than they did on primetime network
16:40
TV, and they're waiting long. We're in between, so you know,
16:42
and the residuals, Yeah, the residuals, well, this is part of
16:45
the new for the actor, for myself, for the residuals, this is
16:48
part of that new media contract. You know, they worked on that contract
16:52
with residual schedules where we don't know how this is really going to work.
16:56
It's brand new, it's a new source of income. Streaming platforms and brand
17:00
new. This is this is when Netflix was really really brand new, and
17:03
there was no things like you know, poundmout Plus and Amazon and Apple.
17:07
I mean, Netflix was the king for a while and then all these other
17:11
companies realized we can do the same thing. Netflix is doing. And then
17:14
Netflix lost a lot of their content. You know, every every NBC show
17:18
that was on Netflix, once Peacock came, they took it once every ABC
17:21
show that was on Netflix, once Hugo came, they took it back.
17:23
So this is what happened. And and the recisuals got small and small.
17:27
They played them more and more, and they have they got less and less.
17:30
So yeah, I mean, sometimes you know, you can get the
17:33
first recisual check could be a nice check, but then the second time around,
17:37
it's half of that, The third tim a roads half of that,
17:38
the four timarads half of that. Before you know it, you're getting it.
17:41
You know, dollar fifty dollar, twenty five, ten cents three.
17:45
I've seen checks for three. I've seen checks where it costs more to print
17:48
out the check, put it in the envelope and mail it than than than
17:52
the check is worth. So I mean, I've seen recisual checks. I've
17:55
gotten recisual checks for three, four, five, ten cents, twelve cents
18:00
on even want to take it to the bank. It's embarrassing, so no
18:03
interest. So it's very easily for as I mentioned. As we mentioned before,
18:07
it is those that want to contribute, and you guys are on the
18:11
sectcause you love it so and you know, I don't know, everyone say
18:14
you love helping the studios, but you love what you do, and I
18:17
guess part of that is helping the studios make the movie. Right. So
18:19
there's a lot of people we want to partnership. That's when we're asking for
18:22
I mean, you know it's a partnership. We understand the structure. Who's
18:26
going to make more money? But when I when I, but again,
18:29
you know, we just want to fair share. I mean, you these
18:32
studios don't get content to play over and over and over and over without the
18:37
creative talent to out there. That's the bottom line. So I mean,
18:41
I guess the Amazons could get out of the business altogether and they wouldn't care.
18:45
I guess Apple TV. Apple TV can go back to, you know,
18:47
get out and just do with their Apple products. But the other study
18:49
heals the Pownamental plus the Peacock NBC with the WABC, they're all content driven,
18:56
you know, without without the creative talent behind it. They're nowhere and
19:00
they know it. But you know, we've just settled for too long.
19:03
Part of the problem is that you know, I think you know the SAG
19:06
after membership it's fought too big. Personally, I've been a SAG member since
19:11
nineteen eighty five, when before the merger, you know, when I joined
19:15
in nineteen eighty five, SAG, SAG after, it was after after,
19:18
and SAG merged in two thousand and twelve. All right. I mean,
19:19
if you look at the membership of the DGA, there's about approximately eighteen thousand,
19:23
maybe seventeen eighteen thousand members. The writers you able US eleven thousand members,
19:29
SAG after's one hundred and sixty thousand members. Now we're talking about actors
19:32
making a living, all right, now, little boy way, there's just
19:34
not enough work in this industry on a union level, four one hundred and
19:40
sixty thousand members to make a regular living, all right. So that's another
19:42
issue that will never be addressed because they need to freeze membership and that's just
19:47
not going to do that. But there's a whole of the issue for another
19:48
time. But you know, it's something because you just can't if you know
19:52
the industry, you know how it works, in the amount of work you
19:56
can get on any given year, one hundred and sixty thous members will never
20:00
make a living. You know, some will make someone come close, but
20:03
not not likely, so you know, but I mean, so now we're
20:07
waiting on this to be ratified. The next step is going to be I
20:10
think the lawyers are looking over the for the WGA. They're looking over with
20:14
the contract, the check and make sure well the eyes have died of the
20:17
teas across the legal verbiages right, there's no loopholes are you know involved in
20:22
that? And it goes back to the WGA negotiating Committee. Uh, they'll
20:26
look at over, they'll approve it. They'll send it out to the WGA
20:29
board at West and on the East and if those two boards approve it,
20:33
then it goes out to the eleven thousand members for ratification. So if they
20:37
ratify it, then the strike is officially. I'm telling them. What they're
20:41
telling their members is that there's no more pickets right now, but they can.
20:45
They're encouraging w gamvers to build still lawn to the seg after picket lines
20:49
and picket with us. Well, I've got of course about that. So
20:52
it was there was there a coordination after you realize after writers went on strike,
20:59
what made the act. There's go in July, because I feel like
21:02
there was the timing of it, and then all of a sudden, the
21:03
actors. I originally thought was it was in support of the writers, that
21:07
was part of it, and I was saying it was contract deadlines, to
21:11
be honest, June thirtieth was the contract for some reason, all of the
21:15
all of the three major unions, DGA, it was the directors guilt,
21:19
WG, Gating, SAC after had their contract expiring on the same dates.
21:25
So that's what it was. And we saying after gave the mp AND extension
21:32
because they were they started negotiating. First of all, they negotiated with the
21:36
DGA first, AMPTP and they got that out of the way right away.
21:40
The DJA settled right away, and they thought they were going to go back
21:42
to work right away, and that didn't happen because then the WGA went on
21:47
strike, and then saying after it went on strength. So and then once
21:49
we decided we were going on strike as well, and then they coordinated,
21:53
you know, the picket lines and solidarity and all that kind of thing.
21:56
But you know, I mean that's just union solidarity to start with. You
22:00
know, that usually happens anyway, But it was more of the contract,
22:03
the dates, the deadlines. You know, they will end it. They
22:07
will end it on the same date. We're very close to the same date.
22:10
And they wrote for renewal and uh, you know, I don't know
22:14
why they do that, because the AMPTP can't negotiate in good faith with all
22:18
faith at the same time, you know. And so but I think they
22:21
thought that they were going to, you know, get the DCA done first
22:25
and then they would the other two unions would follow along with what the DJA
22:29
settled for. And that's just not the case because it's thesis aren't even the
22:33
same for the most part. So well, let me happen there. Yeah,
22:37
and I gotta ask you this. So with here we are, there's
22:40
a tendative deal. I brought young because I want to know if that vote
22:42
is well for a SAG after or if it's totally unrelated. I feel like
22:45
there's stumb correlation to right. The tent was tentadate with anybody asking the deal,
22:51
the deal with w GA. Does that mean does that wake this you
22:55
know, the Hollywood Exacts looking at the actors contracts next. Does that wake
22:59
up up a little bit? Or is it totally separate, like is there
23:02
going to be as like after you like, as you say two weeks from
23:04
now, is that where you're thinking there, Well, I should wipe them
23:07
up a little bit faster because I think they I think AMPTP wants to get
23:11
back into production right away. I mean, you know, coming up on
23:14
the fourth quarter of the year for them, and basically the holidays are coming
23:18
up, and so I think they want to get back into production as soon
23:19
as possible. But you know, the tentative, the tentative only mean that's
23:22
that standard uh, you know language for this h for this type of negotiation,
23:26
the tentative, it's tentative because of all the things I mentioned earlier.
23:30
It has to go back to the lawyers, then it has to go back
23:33
to the negotiating committee, and it has to be approved by the boards.
23:36
And once that's all done, it still has to be ratified by the membership.
23:41
Now, let's just play double's ovate. If it wasn't if it wasn't
23:45
ratified by the membership, Okay, then in theory it's supposed to go back
23:51
to the negotiating table. But the producers have mentioned several times in several trade
23:56
papers that this is their best and final offer, so indicating that this is
24:02
the if they're not going to renegotiate to take this or you leave it,
24:04
which leads me to believe that the WGA got everything they really wanted, which
24:08
is good because the producers know that the WG has no intention of caping anytime
24:14
soon, or or do the actors and if they really want to get back
24:18
into work now. I could be wrong on that, but I don't think
24:21
that's the case. I think that we're going to have to find out.
24:23
I don't know the terms, none of the members of the terms just yet.
24:27
They're not releasing them of the contract. But it seems like the writer's
24:30
going to get everything they want, and then if they do, that vodes
24:34
well for the SAG after contract because two of those major term or three of
24:38
them actually similar to what SAG after launch, which is the AI protection which
24:44
is the increase in basic wages, and also the increase and the different schedule
24:48
of four receiduals. You know, the actors and the writers want transparency from
24:55
these streamers about how many times these shows are aired and if then, based
25:00
on Populife, they're very very popular and they're big hits there should be more
25:03
money for the actors, not less in the residuals. So all of that
25:07
is what they were both looking for, the writers and the actors. And
25:10
if if the writers do get that, then I can't imagine that the actors
25:14
are not going to get it as well. So well, this is uh.
25:18
I called this a cultural shift where everybody was on strike and Hollywood and
25:21
that would you agree with it? This is a cultural shift that maybe the
25:23
workers of Hollywood are going to get what they want, that something will barely
25:29
even discussed sometimes right A, Well, I think so. And I think
25:32
the fact that all the wa and d and and and the actors that went
25:36
out at say we're at the same time, you know, made that happen.
25:41
Really, I mean that's the I said. That hasn't happened since nineteen
25:44
sixty or them win the sixties there, and you know, it is the
25:47
first time. And basically, you know, without those two groups, Hollywood
25:51
shut down, I mean Hollywood for the unions and and and real Hollywood it's
25:56
shut down. So they know this. And but they thought the amptps thought
26:00
they were gonna just wait it out, and waited out and waited out.
26:03
We started fighting amongst each other in each union, and they'll be pressure to
26:07
cave and then you know, once the money started running out, they would
26:11
lead us out, as they said, and make people stop losing their homes
26:12
and not being able played in motors that they were going to have the upper
26:15
hand. But again, like for the reasons I stayed go, that hasn't
26:19
happened, and it's not going to happen. A vast majority of writers and
26:23
actors don't make the living regularly up from the industry, so it's not like
26:29
they we're going to lose anything from that working anyway. And at this point,
26:33
we just wanted to make when we're supposed to make, and when asking
26:36
for anything outrageous or exhorbit them but fair. I totally did it. Did
26:41
it piss you off that the award ceremony still went on when these trucks were
26:45
going on. I felt they're kind of odd. Actually it didn't. It
26:48
didn't piss me off. I think I might have pissed some of them.
26:51
I mean the writers. It was really about the writers and writers they used
26:53
writers for those shows. But now you see that's the other thing. If
27:00
you want to talk about the Drew Barrymore situation. See, she wasn't really
27:04
violating any contract from SAG. This this this contract is for streamers and television
27:12
and film. It's a different contract for talk shows, game shows and things
27:17
like that. So she wasn't in violation of anything from the SAG actors side.
27:21
She would have been spoken to probably had she had an actor or an
27:25
actress on promoting a film or TV show right now going on currently, that's
27:30
under the A and PTP banner. But as far as writing is concerned,
27:36
she's not a member of the writer's guilt, not in mine. But she
27:40
had writers guilt writers on her show, and she felt that she really wasn't
27:44
being in a scale of crossing a pick of line because she wasn't hiring non
27:47
union writers. She was going to write what she was doing. But she's
27:49
a non union writer herself, she's WGA. So that whole thing there was
27:53
just basically it didn't It didn't bother me, uh for the writers standpoint,
28:00
But well, the way that show was still going on until someone spoke up,
28:03
I guess because that was going on for a while now, wasn't it.
28:07
Yeah, they were they were picking as they picked it outside CBS.
28:08
They picked it outside her studio I think a couple of weeks ago, and
28:14
then of course the others started the Cave, Bill Moore and the View and
28:18
some of these other people that talked, so I guess so yeah, But
28:22
again, you know they have to understand these these are they're in the unions
28:27
themselves and in w GA if they're in SAG after all, right, there's
28:32
union solidarity. There has to be. One of the other problems on Hollywood
28:36
is that you know, this title, the hyphenit of the actor producer or
28:41
the writer producer. You know, there's a little bit of a conflict of
28:44
interesting Sometimes it happens because you're if you're an actor, but you're also a
28:47
producer on the AMPTP or a writer producer on the AMPTP, like the show
28:51
run number of a TV show is often an executive producer or a producer as
28:56
well, so there's conflict of interest there. So that's always a there's something
29:00
they might have to find out one day. I don't know if they'll ever
29:03
get to do that. But Tony, where did you it's interest? This
29:06
is fascinating. We're real fast. So before up, where did you pick
29:08
it? And obviously you still will be picking right, So that is not
29:12
ending just because this agreement is and no, no went on and went on
29:15
in because we're still on strike. The fact that the WGA has told their
29:19
members. I have many WJA member of friends that I either speak to or
29:25
I follow on social media and the unions telling them officially they're still on strike.
29:30
They are still on strike until the contract is ratified. So they are
29:34
stopping picketting. Okay, they're gonna They're not. They're no longer they're going
29:38
to pick at the WGA, although they're encouraging their members to pick it uh
29:42
with Santas Whistle on strike, but technically the BA is still on strike until
29:48
that contract is ratified by the eleven thousand members of w GA. So and
29:52
where have you been? Where have you known? Me? Asking? Where
29:53
where can we find you? Can we can we join in solidarity as average
29:59
people on the line with you? Is that I possibility? Sure? Oh
30:02
yeah, there's if you go on my page. I can at this on
30:03
my page and I'll post it again. There's four locations in New York City.
30:07
It's a NBC Universal which is thirty rock, Netflix Want a Discovery,
30:14
which is when I typically go to which is eight eighty eight Broadway from nineteenth
30:18
Street and Broadway. There's Amazon, which I believe is on tenth Avenue and
30:23
at thirty third Street, and there's one other and but I'll post them.
30:27
I'll post them. It's four locations in New York, and it's typically nine
30:30
thirty am to twelve noon at these locations. Today they are not pickting and
30:36
observance for him Kapoor, but tomorrow we'll be. Don't pick right back up
30:40
nine thirty to twelve any celebrity sightings, because I know that my other guests
30:44
on this Kenyane Simpson, who I don't know if you know or not,
30:47
he mentioned that he had ran into some celebrities like I think Kevin Bacon was
30:51
on one. Kah oh yeah, if you have this guy said, yeah,
30:53
I met, I met the couple of myself and I posted, you
30:57
know I met the last time I was there at Murray Abraham was walking the
31:03
line ath Murray Abraham walks the line at UH want to Netflix? Want to
31:07
almost every every day almost. He's a great guy. And uh well,
31:12
Laura Durham was there the other day with Isabella Rosalini, So yeah, they're
31:15
out there. I mean, they're out there because they understand. Really,
31:19
you know, I mean, look, we're the little guys, but you
31:22
know they if you had any show with just a listers, it would still
31:27
be pretty boy, it would it wouldn't be I mean, we're the guys
31:30
with the with the were the day players where the guys that do one scene
31:33
with a couple of lines were out with the guys that do several scenes for
31:37
a couple of episodes continuously that were out. But you know, it's all
31:40
part of the whole, you know, the whole ball works there, you
31:42
know, and you know they understand and a lot again, a lot of
31:45
them started out and you know, they became successful through hard work. But
31:52
you know, some people think it's elitist today, you know, they just
31:55
have spoons, and it's not. They've worked hard, okay, and they
31:59
got to where they are through hard work. It's a it's a cut throat,
32:02
very difficult, extremely harsh business at times, all right, and for
32:07
them to attain that level of success, you have had to have worked hard
32:10
to get there. So and they understand that. You know, they didn't
32:15
they didn't they weren't born into it, or they weren't they didn't just roll
32:17
out of them and become that. They had to work for it, and
32:20
they understand that they were there at one point and now they're supporting us,
32:23
and we appreciate that. Every every every every one of us appreciate it.
32:28
Whenever we see celebrity of that stature come out on the line and walk with
32:30
us, it's much appreciate it really is. All right. Well, one
32:36
one last thing here, where can we find your website? Instagram? Because
32:39
I'm sure you've I know we follow each other, but for those who don't
32:43
know where to follow you, what did they? Well? I mean,
32:45
I have a basic Facebook page Tony Welch, but I'm professionally in sag after
32:52
as Anthony Welch, so I haven't Anthony Welch Facebook actor writer page. You
32:58
can go through Anthony Welch Actor writer on Facebook or Tony Welch on Facebook and
33:02
on Instagram, I'm official Tony Welch uh and then just Tony what I had
33:07
to do two accounts for Instagram Tony Welsh and Official Tony Welch. So that's
33:13
where I am. And yeah, I appreciate and I appreciate you having me
33:15
on I always love chatting with you and hopefully for those who don't know what
33:21
awards have you won, just to finish up that because I knew you have
33:23
one. Some Yeah, well we were nominally, I mean, I'm the
33:28
I'm creator and writer of Street Smart. It's a it's a it was a
33:32
pilot episode that I'm it's in development for a series about the over year epidemic.
33:37
But we won the twenty twenty one NYC web Fest Award for Best Pilot,
33:42
was nominated for Best Action Suspense, and I was nominated as for Outstanding
33:46
Achievement Writing for that. So and then of course I also won Best Ense
33:52
Little Wood back in the nineties but theater at the Pasta in the Playhouse for
33:55
a stage play called The Jones Porting. So, but I've been added for
33:59
a lot of years. I've been up and down. I've been in and
34:00
out. I've been on and off. You know, that's the life of
34:02
an actor. Sometimes, you know, you gotta do what you gotta do
34:05
and get out of it for a little while to come back. So,
34:07
and that's a big part of what the membership does too. That's why the
34:10
big work, the temporary work or secondary jobs, you know, this is
34:15
what we do. Until we get that big break hopefully, and well,
34:19
I always find it amazing, real fast at these guys that that actors pick
34:22
up these jobs like bartenders and whatnot, and then they literally tell their story
34:28
to you and have a drink with it. It's kind of cool. I
34:30
mean, there's a down to earth a lot of these actors are, you
34:34
know, Well, yeah, because we've been there. We we've not.
34:36
I mean, like I said, and I'm not I'm not criticizing the nipple,
34:39
but I know some nipple babies for my years in acting, and they
34:42
also have their struggles. They've also had their issues and it's not easy for
34:45
them different reasons. But the majority of actors that have made it have not.
34:50
They didn't set out that. They didn't set out as an able list
34:52
to making millions and millions of dollars for project. They started out working with
34:55
three jobs, two jobs, theater jobs, bartenders, god knows what kind
35:00
of jobs, you know. Until they got the break, and there was
35:04
a lot of sacrifices. A lot of them would sleep on friends couches until
35:07
they were able to make it because they couldn't pay the rent, but they
35:08
wanted to. It was more important for them to buy, you know,
35:12
take photos of themselves and headshots and things like that that you do as an
35:15
actor, that you make sacrifices for and you never know if it's going to
35:17
pay off. So that's why you really don't have to love it because you
35:21
never know if there's no guarantee. So the kids that want to do this,
35:23
because I know you were probably a kid growing up wanting to do this,
35:27
Yeah, and they see all this happening, what's your advice? Do
35:30
you tell them just to stick with it because you know, well, I
35:35
think you gotta I think you gotta do It's pintly and cliches this. Maybe
35:38
you have to do it because you really love it. You really have to.
35:40
If you're doing it for the same as success and the red carpet and
35:45
all that, well that that's great and that may come, you know,
35:49
but it doesn't come automatically. It comes with all the hard work I mentioned
35:52
Elli. It comes to all the sacrifices they have to make the get there.
35:55
Okay, if you're not willing to make those sacrifices, if you want
35:58
instantaneous grab vacation, don't do it because it's not going to be instantaneous,
36:02
right, and even if it is, it can last. It could be
36:06
fleeting these fifteen minutes of famous here yea, and in these days could be
36:09
even half of that. It's just been a lot of us have been luck,
36:13
you know what I mean. So I love it. Do it because
36:15
you love it, and then if you make the money and you gain success,
36:17
I can send that a bonus. I really do well, Tony Welch
36:21
has been an eye opening conversation. I'm glad we got inside the picket line
36:24
once again, and this time with Tony Well no expert. I'm no expert
36:28
by phone. I don't claim to be, but you know, I have
36:30
a lot of experience in the industry and I have a lot of I've been
36:32
talking to a lot of writers as well as actors on the negotiating committees,
36:37
so it's helped me understand the situation too. So and I appreciate you having
36:39
me on. And like I said, I always I always love chatting with
36:43
you. I really do. And that has been Tony wild chapter on One
36:46
Leg Up with Alex Garrett. We'll talk to you soon. You're on the network.