“Ruddy,” “Goonies,” and “The Lord of the Rings” star Sean Astin was elected president of Saghura, who will take over Flandrescher on Friday.
Astin was part of a slate called “The Coalition.” This is a unified ticket that includes members of historic rival facts within the union and those who are not involved on either side. He defeated Chuck Slavin, a member of the New England Local Committee of the union, which ran the opposition campaign.
Astin won 79% of the votes, while Slavin reached 21%. Michelle Heard, part of the Union’s Slate, was elected Secretary Treasurer.
“It’s time for optimism and creativity,” Asin said in a statement. “We are excited to allow our members to lead our renowned organization from this challenging moment into a future defined by confidence, progress and intense advocacy.”
In an email, Slavin said the outcome was “disappointing,” but he faced a political machinery representing “Hollywood elites wielding influence to maintain their grip on power.”
Astin was once employed between 1985 and 1988 by Patty Duke, whose late mother, Patty Duke, was the president of the Screen Actors Guild’s predecessor. Astin has been deeply involved in SAG-AFTRA politics for the past six years, serving on the negotiation committee during the four-month actor strike in 2023.
In a recent interview, Asin said he was particularly engaged during the pandemic when he recorded countless hours attending Zoom Committee meetings.
“I’m really focusing on details and how the property works,” he said. “I think it’s a good moment to have someone like me in this role.”
Jolie Fisher, who served as secretary treasurer for the past four years, has been elected president of the Los Angeles locally.
Drescher came aside four years later as president, during which he led negotiations for 2023, making a prominent voice at the picket line outside of major studios. During her tenure, she helped settle some of the internal rebuttal between unity and membership for strength and membership, the slate of rivals that have dominated coalition politics for decades.
“She came in and wasn’t going to tolerate a rehash of the old argument,” Astin said. “My job is to expand that.”
On Friday, Union Leadership honoured Drescher’s services and announced it was nearing finalizing elements of her legacy.
During negotiations, Dresser sought a fund to distribute the remaining shares to streaming show performers. Success Bonus Distribution Funds aim to spread wealth more widely than standard streaming residuals.
In a note to members, the union said stand-in, stunt trigger and background actors will be eligible as long as they have important connections to the most successful shows on the streaming platform. The union said it has also expanded the scope of eligible productions.
Details are said to be published in the coming weeks. It is unclear how much money will be distributed.
“This is the final puzzle piece in our 2023 TV/theater/streaming deal,” Drescher said in a statement. “I am grateful to the streaming channel and AMPTP for leaning against us and doing fair deals. This historic victory marks the end of my tenure.”
Alliance Alliance and TV producers have issued a statement congratulating Astin on his victory.
A spokesperson for AMPTP said, “We look forward to working with President Astin to address the issues that are most important to SAG-AFTRA performers.”
The union is scheduled to return to the table negotiating with AMPTP in 2026.
“I personally would approach negotiations with an open mind,” Ashin said.
