Background Actors

[Background actors, often known popularly (but not professionally) as “extras,” are essential in creating the tone, mood, and atmosphere of feature films and television scenes.  There are background actors in all performance media, including stage plays (though that’s rare and expensive), and they have different names in some other performance forms (such as “supernumeraries” in opera). 

[The most common performing arts where background actors are found are television and film.  Movies, especially war films and historical epics, can employ hundreds of background actors.  Most actors start out in movies with background appearances.  It’s not unheard-of for a background actor to get bumped up to a “silent bit” or even a “day player,” with a contractual increase in pay.

[(Those last two film terms mean pretty much what the names imply.  A silent bit [part] is a role that stands out from the crowd, or background, because the actor has to do something significant to the scene’s plot but has no lines.  A day player is an actor contracted for one day’s shooting, or part thereof, to perform a role that never appears as a significant character in the movie.  The job may be one or more scenes, but they are all shot in one day.)

[In most cases in the United States, background work, like all film performances, is regulated and overseen by SAG-AFTRA, the union that represents screen actors in all media.  (There used to be a union called the Screen Extras Guild, which had a limited geographical jurisdiction.  SEG’s members were ultimately absorbed into the Screen Actors Guild, and SAG then merged with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists to become SAG-AFTRA.) 

[Background actors are defined as performers who appear in non-speaking or non-singing roles, usually in the background of scenes—for example, in an audience or busy street scene.  (Crowd scenes aren’t the only places background actors may appear in films and TV shows; they might be seen at a nearby café table, tending bar behind the featured actors, or walking a dog on a suburban street.  I was once a counterman at a deli (an episode of Nurse) and a cop who arrested Woody Allen (Stardust Memories, 1980); that latter gig got upgraded to a silent bit. 

[Related to the background performer is the stand-in.  In film and television, this is an actor who substitutes for a featured performer before filming, for technical purposes such as lighting and camera setups.  (The featured actor is usually in make-up or wardrobe, taking a break, or rehearsing an upcoming scene during these times.) 

[A stand-in may also work as a background actor when not occupied with his or her stand-in duties; sometimes the stand-in has a small role in the film or TV show.  (In the original Perry Mason television series [1957-66], Raymond Burr’s stand-in for all nine years was Lee Miller.  Miller also played the recurring role of police Sgt. Brice.)

[I know of people who made extra pocket money—retirees, office workers, and even teachers—by doing background work in movies and TV shows even though they weren’t pursuing careers in acting.  One acquaintance, Jack Beers, whose wife, Bertha, was a friend of my mother’s, became famous in his own right when a film of his life (Holes in My Shoes) was aired on PBS in 2009, shortly after his death at 99.]

“BACKGROUND ACTORS IN THE SPOTLIGHT”

[The following article was published in SAG-AFTRA, the magazine of the union for screen actors in film, TV, and video (vol. 8, iss. 3 [Fall 2019]); it’s also accessible on the union’s website, https://www.sagaftra.org/background-actors-spotlight, posted on 5 November 2019.] 

With the explosion of new production on a variety of platforms, background actors are in demand, and earnings are up.

But, increasingly, some members are concerned about the competition for the number of spots allocated for union background in SAG-AFTRA contracts as well as the lack of contract coverage in emerging production areas such as New Mexico, Louisiana and Georgia.

Recently, they have been on the receiving end of an outpouring of support from high-profile members, including Jeff Bridges, Amy Adams, Mandy Moore, Mark Duplass and Rachel Brosnahan. But many of these performers have only spoken out after witnessing or experiencing firsthand some of the poor treatment their colleagues who work background have received on set. For instance, Adams recalled how she was mistaken for her stand-in while shooting HBO’s Sharp Objects.

“I’ve never experienced this before but, because we looked so much alike, at one point somebody grabbed me really hard and pulled me,” she recently told THR [The Hollywood Reporter]. “I went, ‘What’s going on?’ And they’re like, ‘(Gasp) You’re not Reb!’ I went into producer [mode] and I was like, ‘You will not handle her like that.’”

In April, the multihyphenate Duplass tweeted about how appalled he was to see background performers treated badly. “If you see this happening, please gently bring it to the attention of the offender(s) and ask them to reconsider their approach. It’s an odd blind spot in our industry,” he wrote.

New York Local Board member and Background Advisory Committee Chair Avis Boone agrees.

“In New York, while shooting exterior scenes in January in out-of-season wardrobe without proper breaks and a place to keep warm between shots, sometimes background actors will ask for hand warmers and be told that they only have enough for the crew or the talent [industry jargon for featured performers]. Even though background actors are a key ingredient to make a scene look real, they are often an afterthought when it comes to the things like being given proper breaks, water and safety rides,” she said.

Some performers, including Bridges, Moore and Brosnahan, used their time onstage during the last awards season to single out their stand-ins and background colleagues. While accepting the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series [The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, 2019], Brosnahan saluted “Our too-often unsung background actors who worked the same hours as us and share the same union as us. I couldn’t be luckier to be a part of this amazing group of artists.” Moore made a similar shout-out during the 25th annual SAG Awards in January [2019], telling This Is Us background performers: “Our show wouldn’t be what it is without you.”

Bridges, too, has talked about how his longtime stand-in, Loyd Catlett, has been essential to his work, acknowledging their 50-year collaboration during his Oscars acceptance speech in 2010 and while receiving the Cecil B. DeMille Award [an honorary award for “outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment”] at the 2019 Golden Globes in January.

SAG-AFTRA leaders have also made the working conditions of background performers a priority. Last spring, President Gabrielle Carteris made a point of visiting Central Casting, the industry’s largest employment facilitator of background performers, to hear directly from members about their on-set experiences.

“Background performers are our fellow actors, our fellow members and so critical to all of our shared success,” she said after the visit. “We perform together and we fight for our protections and fair wages together — as one union.”

Ron Ostrow, chair of the National and Los Angeles Background Actors committees, said the recent attention has been a morale booster. Still, he encouraged other high-profile members to speak up, not just in public forums, but in the moment if they see something happening on set.

“Background actors want it known that they look at this like a profession. This is not something that they just go and hang out and do. They know their obligations. They know how to make a scene look good,” he said.

Ostrow noted that while some of the 56,000 members who do background work each year do so to supplement their careers, others have dedicated themselves to the craft. “There are people who are doing this full time who are raising their families and making their benefits,” he said. “They know how to bring their game to this — not just their wardrobe, props and cars.”

*  *  *  *

“5 WAYS TO GET THE MOST OUT OF WORKING BACKGROUND”

[The information below was published alongside the article above in the same issue of SAG-AFTRA magazine; it, too, was posted on 5 December 2019 at https://www.sagaftra.org/5-ways-get-most-out-working-background.]

Get a copy of SAG-AFTRA's Background Actors Contracts Digest

Richard Markman, an alternate on the Background Actors Committee, said that he will often pass out copies to new members so they can understand the protections of each contract — and understand any adjustments that they could be due during a production. When he sees new members dog-earing the booklet, he feels a sense of pride. “That to me is such a victory: I have done my job,” he said. “They want to know what their rights are and what they’re entitled to.” Find the Background Actors Contracts Digest and a downloadable PDF at sagaftra.org/background-actors-digest.

Don’t address adjustments with production staff.

Samantha Hartson, a member of the National and Los Angeles Background Actors committees, advised background performers to note any adjustments that they didn’t receive and file with SAG-AFTRA after their work has been completed. “Don’t make a production of it on set. File a claim with the union,” she said.

Treat background work like a job.

“It doesn’t matter how little the job is or how big the job is; it doesn’t matter if you’re just a cross, take pride in it,” said Hartson. [A cross is the movement of a background actor who passes through the view of the camera.] “Don’t be looking to sit down as soon as you can. People are always watching you.” She also advised members not to carry their phones on set and stay close during breaks in shooting. “You never know when they’re going to need you,” she said.

Keep your headshots up to date and target your submissions.

Photos that don’t match your current look will annoy casting directors. Hartson and Markman both stressed that members should keep their photos current with Central Casting and L.A. Casting. “Submit for who and what you are. Be honest about your age range. If you’re 60 years old, don’t submit for 40 unless you actually look that age,” said Markman.

Bring the proper wardrobe.

If you’re required to bring wardrobe, bring wardrobe. Markman suggested going a step further and having multiple looks for the character available, in case the casting director doesn’t like the initial selection. “The production absolutely loves that,” he said. “Personally, I bring wardrobe for whatever my role may be. If you’re cast as a lawyer, don’t bring a pair of shorts.”

*  *  *  *
“WORKING BACKGROUND”
by Katie Doyle, CSA 

[Katie Doyle is a Hawaii casting director;  her article below was posted on the SAG-AFTRA website on 1 April 2016 at https://www.sagaftra.org/working-background.  The Casting Society of America (CSA) is a professional society of about 700 casting directors for film, television, and theater in Australia, Canada, India, France, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States.  The society is not to be confused with an industry union.]

When prepping for principal or background actor casting, we look for folks who have an understanding of the basic technical components of a television or film set, and who can follow production rules and instruction. Of course, everyone needs that first opportunity, and working as a background actor is a good way to get familiar with what actually goes on in the world of film production. 

The technological advances in our industry have impacted every aspect of film/television-making. The pace is faster and the stakes are higher than ever before, which translates into multitudes of schedule changes that affect everyone, including the background actors. This can be very frustrating — especially since the casting department is often the last to receive the information.

It used to be the exception to the rule when large-scale schedule/shooting changes occurred. Now, changes are the accepted norm. The casting department relies on advanced technology and good old-fashioned telephone-calling to keep up with the daily/hourly changes given to us by production. But, if you want to work in this industry and stay sane, it’s best to be adaptable. If you don’t want to do background work, say so. 

If you want to work, here is a quick reminder to use these very basic tools: 

VOICEMAIL: Make sure your voicemail is set up and able to take messages. So many times we get a recording that says, “This user’s voicemail is not set up.” We can’t hire you if we can’t reach you. Please check your voicemail regularly — especially if we are in production. (See above regarding "changes.") 

EMAIL: Have a simple email address that you use for business and check it regularly. You need to check your trash, junk mail/spam folders to see if our correspondence has been sent there — especially in the beginning of a project if your system doesn’t recognize a new email address.

EMAIL REPLY: Reply to emails that require replies with the proper information in the subject line so your email won’t get lost.

READ the email we send and print out your maps and wardrobe instructions so you have them handy — we give background actors a lot of information. It’s frustrating when you call with questions about something that has been clearly explained in the email. 

HOTLINES: Numbers and procedures vary from production to production — as a general rule, it’s good to check in the evening after posting time and then once more in the morning before you leave the house. Most often, these are not set up to receive messages, so please follow the instructions given to you at the time of booking.   

And that’s a wrap.

[There are other jobs in movies and TV that are similar to background acting.  (Make no mistake, by the way, that it is acting.  I once was part of a street crowd for a scene set in the dead of winter in 1981’s Rich and Famous.  The problem was that not only was the scene shot in summer on location in midtown Manhattan, but it was during one of the heat waves we used to have here once or twice a summer when the temps reached three digits.  There we were, wearing winter coats, hats, gloves, and mufflers—I even had on a Russian ushanka (fur hat with ear flaps)—while swallowing salt pills and wearing nearly nothing beneath the heavy coats.  Between shots, we sat on air-conditioned buses, then hopped out to do another take, pretending we were shivering in sub-freezing weather.)

[One similar film gig to background work is “looping,” or dubbing dialogue or other verbal expressions in post-production.  Like some background jobs, actors can be selected for special skills or talents or possession of special clothing or equipment.  (This information is listed on the actor’s qualifications at the union—the actors are admonished to update this list frequently.)  I was called once because I owned a complete army uniform (kept from my service which had ended only a few years earlier) and another time because I had a dog.  (I was a guy walking his dog in Greenwich Village in 1980’s Willie & Phil, written and directed by Paul Mazursky.)

[I got one gig because my résumé indicated that I spoke some Russian; the job was for Real Men, a 1987 Cold War spy comedy starring Jim Belushi and John Ritter.  The producers wanted to dub in some off-screen Russian phrases in the background during chases and fights.  When the small group of actors met at the sound studio, we were also asked to do some Russian-accented English as well.  In the end, we also did some ordinary English background dialogue, mostly in a scene in a crowded bar and one at an L.A. farmer’s market, and we “sweetened” a couple of fight scenes by dubbing some grunts and groans to enhance the slug-fests.]

More On Theatrical Intimacy

[On 26 May, I posted an article on Rick On Theater entitled “A growing theater trend: The art of staging love” by Matthew J. Palm of the Orlando Sentinel.  When I first saw the article, it was the first I heard of theatrical intimacy designers, the name of the position Palm used in his article.  I did a little poking about the ‘Net and discovered that it was, indeed, “a growing trend.”  Some months later, I got an e-mail from the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.  SDC was getting on board with this new concern, growing out of the #MeToo movement. 

[Then a few weeks later, I got my copy of SAG-AFTRA, the member magazine for the film and television union.  In it was also an article on the same subject.  (SDC uses the title “intimacy choreographer” for the job Palm had written about, and SAG-AFTRA calls it “intimacy coordinator,” but the responsibility is the same.)

[I’m posting both the SDC e-mail, which arrived in my inbox on 23 July, and the un-credited SAG-AFTRA article, from the summer issue that arrived earlier this month, because I think this is an important move on the part of the professional entertainment industry—and I applaud the unions for getting out in front of the need and engaging their memberships in the issue.]

“Stage Directors And Choreographers Society & Intimacy Choreography”

[SDC, formerly known as Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers or SSDC (until 2009), was established in 1959, representing theatrical directors and choreographers, working on Broadway and on National tours, Off-Broadway, and in various resident, regional, stock, and dinner theatres throughout the United States.]

July 23, 2019

Dear Members and Associate Members,

As theatre artists and organizations encounter a changing discourse around staging sexual content and intimate moments, initiatives that provide awareness of the issues and positively shift our language and practices are essential in creating a safer and more empowered industry. We believe it is a part of SDC’s job to educate our Members on why the field of intimacy choreography has emerged and provide resources for building higher sensitivity and awareness around what is needed to ensure a context of consent in all rehearsal rooms. SDC recognizes that every project will need different resources and every director builds a rehearsal room in their own way.

Our approach, which will roll out over the next few months, is one of in-depth education that provides many paths and possibilities to staging intimacy versus mandating or endorsing a singular policy. That is not our place. But we do want to give directors and choreographers the tools for successfully grappling with intimacy onstage in our current ‘me too’ world and in doing so begin to set some best practices and standards. We deeply respect each individual Member’s unique approach to their craft, and we sincerely appreciate the emergence of intimacy choreography and support all artists to work purposefully and intentionally when it comes to issues of consent and sexual safety onstage, whether that be with an intimacy choreographer or not. 

To provide a wealth of information and resources to our Members, we will be creating an online and offline library where directors encountering sexual content or looking for guidance around intimacy staging may go. If you stage your own intimacy, SDC will offer you access to helpful language to assist you in creating the context for artists to speak up and actively set boundaries. If you want to learn more directly about the work of intimacy professionals, we will have information about what the field is, how it can help you, and where you can learn more. SDC will continue to provide our Members with resources for getting to know the community of intimacy choreographers and how to begin a collaborative dialogue with them.  And finally, we will develop resources to help Members navigate and negotiate the addition of an intimacy choreographer onto the collaborative team, whether requested by you, your employer, or an actor.  Everyone needs access to all the tools, even if they use them differently

Intimacy Choreography, A Vital & Emerging Field

In 2006, the field of intimacy choreography emerged primarily out of academic institutions as a training tool and research field for stage artists. This scholarly work then evolved into organizations outside the higher education field, which offer tools, education, consulting, and comprehensive resources for staging theatrical intimacy. The two primary organizations who offer training and who choreograph intimacy are Intimacy Directors International (IDI) and Theatrical Intimacy Education (TIE). In collaboration with specific intimacy choreography organizations, Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD) trains their choreographers in staging sexual violence. Many of these seasoned and trusted fight directors are now crossing over into intimacy choreography.

At the core of intimacy choreography is the use of a more formalized vocabulary and practice for staging intimacy or scenes of a sexual nature. The protocols of intimacy choreography give performers a common vocabulary that allows them to communicate with each other about the work they are doing and to define boundaries. There is a practice, a codified set of guidelines, that makes the process less intimidating and gives artists more agency in their own work.

Intimacy choreographers are experts in conversations of power and consent in any space where sexual content is being rehearsed. They aim to create cultures where artists are empowered to tell the clearest story possible without violating their own personal boundaries. And they ensure that throughout a run, the actors are continuing to have an open dialogue about the sexual staging, renewing consent and opening conversations to address the live and ever-changing nature of the theatre.

Techniques used by intimacy choreographers include: teaching languages of initial consent and renewal of consent, contact improvisation, checking in and out (making a ritual of intimacy, so actors have a mental separation of the work from their daily lives), and initiating channels for actors to communicate openly through the process about their experience. All of these tools give artists more agency to only agree to situations they feel physically and emotionally safe engaging in while continuing to respect the creative team and their process of telling a specific and compelling story.

With increased public awareness and discourse on sexual harassment and consent, many theatres, universities, and leaders in our field have felt a need to respond directly. Our field is addressing a critical need to improve the working conditions of our industry, and SDC is taking action as well.

Where We Stand

SDC believes that each director should have the freedom to tell the story they want to tell in the way they want to tell it. And we recognize a growing need in our industry to dismantle abusive power structures and respond to a tremendous outpouring of concern about how, on and off stage, we engage appropriately with one another. We look forward to leading the discourse around intimacy direction and providing vital resources for directors to uphold ethical practices and accomplish their best work.

With more resources to stage intimacy, we hope to give directors concrete tools to set-up systems in the rehearsal room and beyond. When actors are unified by a director around a specific language of consent, they are less likely to take actions that will put their fellow actors at risk. This shared awareness and work will ensure that stage intimacy continues to be consensual, even when directors have left the run.

“Uncomfortable” is not “unsafe.” SDC’s goal is to provide resources for safety. We understand that art can and often must be emotionally and physically challenging. We encourage our directors to make their most daring and rigorous work. And we believe that exciting and influential art can and should be done in spaces where consent and boundaries are firmly understood. With our comprehensive resources, our repository of points of view and research, we aim to give every director the support they need to build more awareness around issues of intimacy and create their own culture of open dialogue and consent.

While our comprehensive library is coming soon, CLICK HERE [SDC Member Portal] for immediate information about intimacy choreography and to share with us your experiences and needs on this topic. We look forward to being in dialogue with you, our Members and leaders of the theatre community, about this vital and ongoing issue.

In Solidarity,

Pam MacKinnon, President

John Rando, Executive Vice President

Michael John Garcès, First Vice President

Michael Wilson, Treasurer

Evan Yionoulis, Secretary

Seret Scott, Second Vice President

Leigh Silverman, Third Vice President

*  *  *  *

“Safety, Dignity & Integrity:

SAG-AFTRA to Standardize Guidelines for Intimacy Coordinators”

[This article appeared in SAG-AFTRA 8.2 (Summer 2019),  published quarterly by SAG-AFTRA, Los Angeles, Califormia.  The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, known as SAG-AFTRA, is the union that represents film and television actors, journalists, radio personalities, recording artists, singers, voice actors, and other media professionals worldwide.  The organization was formed in 2012 following the merger of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG – created in 1933) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (created in 1937 as the American Federation of Radio Artists [AFRA], becoming AFTRA in 1952 after merger with the Television Authority).]

SAG-AFTRA has announced that it will collaborate with Alicia Rodis, the associate director and cofounder of Intimacy Directors International (IDI), the intimacy coordinators with IDI and other trained providers to standardize, codify and implement guidelines for on-set intimacy coordinators.

The guidelines will establish new, relevant policies for nudity and simulated sex and other hyper-exposed work; define the duties and standards for intimacy coordinators on productions; and specify acceptable training, vetting and qualifications of intimacy coordinators. Intimacy coordinators provide coaching for actors performing intimate scenes and ensure that proper protocols are followed while they are at their most vulnerable.

“Our goal is to normalize and promote the use of intimacy coordinators within our industry,” said SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris, adding, “Intimacy coordinators provide an important safety net for our members doing hyper-exposed work. At a time when the industry still needs to make great changes, our initiative will ensure the safety and security of SAG-AFTRA members while they work, and it respects the boundaries of actors.”

Added National Executive Director David White, “These specifically implemented guidelines will allow productions to run more efficiently while the specialized support empowers both cast and crew. We look forward to working with our industry partners and allies to ensure these guidelines work for our members and others on set. Many productions are already using intimacy coordinators, so it is imperative to codify and standardize the work to best benefit SAG-AFTRA members and the industry as a whole.”

SAG-AFTRA’s efforts are not just limited to on-set work. The union is committed to defending the rights and dignity of its members on the job, while pursuing work and in the public sphere. It has elevated the conversation on sexual harassment and abuse through its public policy advocacy efforts, including several pieces of legislation and by hosting a groundbreaking panel discussion on image-based sexual abuse, such as “deepfake” non-consensual sex scenes.

The union continues to pursue its goal to change the culture of harassment and abuse in the industry once and for all. Over the past year and a half in particular, SAG-AFTRA has made great strides toward this vision, starting with the rollout last February of the Four Pillars of Change framework for confronting harassment and advancing equity. This comprehensive initiative strengthens protections for members and holds productions to high standards of conduct through new rules and guidelines, enhanced education and resources, and public policy advocacy.

Introduced early last year, Code of Conduct Guideline No. 1 calls for an end to professional meetings and auditions in high-risk locations such as hotels and private residences, and encourages members to bring a support peer to auditions and meetings where safety may be a concern. SAG-AFTRA has since codified Code of Conduct Guideline No. 1 into the Netflix, Commercials and Network Television Code contracts, along with provisions that provide explicit personal harassment protections.

In collaboration with the SAG-AFTRA Foundation and The Actors Fund, SAG-AFTRA has expanded existing intervention tools and survivor support services. At SAG-AFTRA, more than 100 first- and rapid-responder staff have been trained across the organization, including specialized assessment and intervention training for field representatives. Additional experts have been brought on for intake and case management of complaints, and the union’s long-running 24/7 safety hotline has evolved to include a specialized trauma hotline for members who are experiencing, or who have experienced, sexual harassment or assault.

In addition, SAG-AFTRA is leading a proactive legislative agenda at the federal and state levels that expands and strengthens sexual harassment laws, mandates training for nonsupervisory staff, aims to dismantle the legal barriers to reporting misconduct, extends protections to workers outside of a traditional employment relationship, prohibits the use of nondisclosure agreements in employment agreements, and targets image-based sexual abuse and on-set coercion.

In California, for example, SAG-AFTRA supported the passage of Senate Bill 1300, which prohibits an employer from requiring an individual to sign away their rights under the state anti-discrimination and anti-harassment law in exchange for a raise or as a condition of employment. The law also prohibits employers from requiring an employee to sign any documents that deny an employee’s right to disclose information about unlawful acts in the workplace, including sexual harassment. Senate Bill 224 expanded sexual harassment protections to explicitly prohibit sexual harassment in certain business relationships that exist outside of the employer-employee legal structure, and Senate Bill 820 prohibited secrecy provisions in settlement agreements following sexual abuse, harassment and discrimination.

In New York, the union supported the successful passage of several bills over a twoyear period. Senate Bill 6577 adjusted the statute of limitations for second- and third-degree rape from 5 years to 20 and 10 years, respectively; enhanced damages to include punitive damages and attorney fees in employment discrimination cases; and lowered the “severe and pervasive” standard in sexual harassment cases that denies many victims recourse. Senate Bill 4345 made it a second-degree felony to coerce someone to appear nude in a film. New York state and city have both broadened the statute of limitations for filing sexual harassment claims from one year to three years and have expanded sexual harassment training requirements to nonsupervisors, an essential tool to address the harassment that can occur among co-workers or co-stars.

Together, these victories take on the culture of silence that protects abusers and reflect an evolving understanding of workplace harassment and abuse. Yet, despite measurable progress, there is more work to be done.

When it comes to sexually explicit material, performers should control the use of their images. Unfortunately, sophisticated, free digital technology enables creators to depict an individual as engaging in virtually any activity without their consent or participation, including nude performances and realistic sex acts. While this technology is often used to make deepfake porn, mainstream filmmakers have also used it to create digitized performances of actors without their consent. This technology is just one example of the challenges the union faces in protecting performers from image-based sexual abuse.

In May, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-California, chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, joined SAG-AFTRA for a panel discussion on how deepfake technology can be weaponized to harass and defame individuals, spread misinformation and undermine national security. Moderated by NBC4 anchor Colleen Williams with an introduction by Carteris, the panel featured White, digital forensics expert Hany Farid, law professor Mary Anne Franks, and SAG-AFTRA members and activists Alyssa Milano and Heidi Johanningmeier.

To address the growing threat to members, SAG-AFTRA sponsored California Senate Bill 564, introduced by state Sen. Connie Leyva, which would ban the creation and dissemination of nonconsensual digitally created sex scenes and nude performances, including deepfakes. The first of its kind, this legislation would give individuals reasonable time to decide before consenting to a digitized intimate scene and the right to sue creators where no consent was obtained at all. SB 564 passed with unanimous support, only to unfortunately be shelved in the Senate Appropriations Committee a few weeks later. SAG-AFTRA continues to pursue avenues in Sacramento that would ensure these protections for members.

SAG-AFTRA also supports H.R. 2896, known as the SHIELD Act, a federal bipartisan bill that would prohibit the intentional disclosure of intimate images that the subject intended to be private, often referred to as “revenge porn.” Performers, especially women, are frequent targets of this misconduct and are at risk of having their cell phones hacked or sensitive behind-the-scenes footage leaked. The bill was introduced in May by Reps. Jackie Speier and John Katko, with support from Sen. Kamala Harris. At a press conference that day, SAG-AFTRA member and activist Amber Heard, a survivor of such a nonconsensual disclosure, spoke about the public humiliation she experienced, and White voiced the need for legal remedies.

As the work unfolds, SAG-AFTRA will continue to work with industry stakeholders, subject-matter experts, lawmakers and members to secure the right to work safely and with respect, dignity and integrity.

_______

REPORT: If you believe you have experienced workplace harassment or unlawful discrimination, call your union at (855) SAG-AFTRA / (855) 724-2387 and press 1.

FOR AFTER-HOURS EMERGENCIES: (844) SAFER SET / (844) 723-3773 IF YOU ARE IN IMMEDIATE DANGER, DIAL 911 TO CONTACT LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.

These numbers are always available on the back of your membership card, the Help Center on the sagaftra.org website and on your member app.

SUPPORT: For workplace harassment support services, including counseling and referrals, call the number below for the office nearest you. This service is provided in partnership with SAG-AFTRA, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation and The Actors Fund.

The Actors Fund, Los Angeles (323) 933-9244, ext. 455 • intakela@actorsfund.org

The Actors Fund, New York City (212) 221-7300, ext. 119 • intakeny@actorsfund.org

The Actors Fund, Chicago (312) 372-0989 • shaught@actorsfund.org