“The Nanny” actor Fran Drescher is running for president of Hollywood’s largest union.
Drescher announced Friday that she will seek to become the next leader of SAG-AFTRA after longtime leader Gabrielle Carteris said she would not seek re-election this fall.
The “Beverly Hills 90210” star told SAG-AFTRA members this week that she would not run for a third term and announced her support for Drescher and moderator Anthony Rapp, a television, film and television actor. The photography and theater veteran is running for national secretary-treasurer.
“I have been delighted to serve the members of SAG-AFTRA over the past five and a half years and it is with joy and humility that I pass the baton to a new team of experienced and dedicated leaders who who will guide the union into operation. future,” Carteris said in a statement. “With Fran Drescher at the helm, I know our union and membership are in great hands.”
Carteris’ announcement follows National Managing Director David White’s recent decision to step down after 12 years. He was replaced by Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. Drescher, who announced his intention to run on Friday, has the support of the Unite for Strength group led by Carteris.
In a statement, Drescher said: “I am honored to have been asked to run. I hope to apply my experience as president of the Cancer Movement and my success on Capitol Hill and as Special Envoy for Public Diplomacy to unite our coalition , enhancing member benefits and giving our 160k strong members a more significant presence on the national scene.
160,000 performing artists, actors and television journalists will appoint a new president this summer.
These changes come after a grueling period for unions in Hollywood. They led the entertainment industry’s effort to reopen productions, making safety recommendations that were largely considered successful. They also experienced revenue declines and job cuts as their members lost their jobs during the pandemic.
Carteris oversaw many initiatives during his leadership, including fighting for passage of California’s AB 1687 law, which would have required certain entertainment websites, including IMDb, to remove their age or date. actor’s birth as requested or not posting that information in the first place. Last year, the union agreed to a new three-year collective bargaining agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, guaranteeing improvements in wages and residuals.
SAG-AFTRA also reached its first contract with Netflix to expand the union’s coverage to workers who dub Netflix’s foreign-language productions into English and increase the amount of theatrical revenue paid by performers. roles received on higher budget Netflix films.
Carteris was appointed in 2016 following the death of Ken Howard. She won election in 2017 and again in 2019.
Matthew Modine is also running for president in the dissident group Member First.
Carteris defeated Modine in 2019, after an unusually contentious campaign that highlighted cracks in the coalition.
