The SAG-AFTRA actors union is scheduled Friday to announce the winner of its presidential election between Sean Astin and Chuck Slavin, with the victor succeeding Fran Drescher, who declined to seek reelection after four years at the helm.
The election comes at an uncertain time for the 160,000-member guild as the industry is still recovering from the 118-day strike in the summer of 2023 — and has another round of contract negotiations with the major studios on tap next year.
The new president will play a major role in those talks as actors face an array of worries including threats from artificial intelligence; revenues from streaming; productions moving overseas; decreasing job numbers; and increasing healthcare costs.
Drescher has endorsed Astin, who’s known for his roles in the “Rings” trilogy and “Rudy.” Astin has served on the union’s national and local boards, as well as on various negotiating committees. His mother, Academy Award-winner Patty Duke, was a past president of the union.
Slavin is a New England local board member, background actor and indie film performer.
Drescher said during the strike that guild members were being “victimized by a very greedy entity,” and she warned of the threat posed by AI to actors’ jobs.
Although she helped win AI protections and bonuses tied to streaming viewership, some voters reportedly have said they want additional gains such as better streaming residuals.
Challenges continue to mount as Hollywood’s rank-and-file watch studios move productions overseas, and TV and film work in the Los Angeles area shrinks. Work opportunities appear to be growing in the area of video content for platforms such as YouTube and Instagram, but those jobs are often nonunion.
Ballots were mailed to all eligible SAG-AFTRA members nationwide on Aug. 13, with a return deadline and tabulation on Friday.