The faith-based biblical series “The Chosen” has been given a waiver from the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, bringing almost all Hollywood to a screeching halt. Dallas Jenkins, the series creator, announced he had “submitted all the requested paperwork” to apply for a waiver from the strike.
In a brief letter to the union, which he posted to social media, he wrote, “We fit all qualifications for an exemption. You have our application for it. Every day that goes by without your response costs us hundreds of thousands of dollars while your actors are stuck in Utah.” He continued, “We’re the good guys; we’ve treated your actors well. Please take the few minutes to approve our application so your actors can get back to work getting paid for the last two weeks of a season they want to finish.”
These waivers are available to “truly independent producers” as long as they’re not associated with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and agree to submit retroactively to whatever contract terms are eventually agreed upon with the AMPTP once the strike is over. Several actors from “The Chosen” are SAG-AFTRA members, including Johnathan Roumie, who plays Jesus in the popular series.
In an Instagram post of his own, Roumie wrote, “We hope to return to our regularly scheduled program soon. Please stand by and keep those prayers coming!” Noah James, who plays Andrew in the show, thanked SAG-AFTRA for the exemption in a post on his Instagram Story. He wrote, “We’ve been given an interim agreement for ‘The Chosen,’ so we can continue filming starting tomorrow and finish the season for the next few weeks.”
“‘The Chosen’ is not part of the AMPTP and, as an independent show, has immediately agreed to SAG’s terms,” he continued. “So thankful to be a part of this show and this union. Once we are sent back home, we’re all ready to hop on the picket lines, striking against the AMPTP with our union.” Jenkins added, “Thanks to the Screen Actors Guild for getting specific and acknowledging our efforts.”
According to Deadline, “The Chosen” is the first known television series to be given a waiver from the SAG-AFTRA strike and the first film or television production to start working after being stopped by the strike. This started in May, when Writers Guild of America members walked off their jobs over studios using new streaming business models, paying screenwriters less money for more work.
Film and television actors joined the strike, adding to their demands for more protections for actors’ likenesses as the use of artificial intelligence expands. This marks the first time in more than 60 years that the WGA and SAG-AFTRA have gone on strike together. The last time this happened was in 1960 when former President Ronald Reagan helmed the SAG.