Movie
The “Girls” creator joins Donald Glover, Natasha Lyonne and the cast of “The Bear” who have donated merchandise and strange experiences to raise funds for the people behind the scenes
Thu, September 14, 2023, 06.24 BST
If you’ve ever wished that Natasha Lyonne would help you solve The New York Times Sunday Crossword, have dinner with Bob Odenkirk and David Cross, or Lena Dunham would come to your house and paint a mural, this is it Money is the only thing stopping you.
All of the above items are lots from an online auction offered by Hollywood stars who donate time, memorabilia and bizarre experiences to raise money Help the production team survive the ongoing writer and actor strikes.
From show business to zero business: How are the strikes affecting Hollywood?
The auction is hosted by the Union Solidarity Coalition: an organization founded this year by Hollywood writers and directors to help crew members access health care despite the work stoppages that began in May, when the Writers Guild of America officially launched went on strike and was later joined by the actors’ union Sag-Aftra.
At the time of publication, 17 bids had been placed on an unspecified mural by actor, writer, director and Girls creator Dunham, which is selling for up to $3,050 on eBay. Odenkirk and Cross, both stars of cult comedy Mr Show, as well as Better Call Saul and Arrested Development, will join you for dinner (bids are $2,624). The cast of Bob’s Burgers will sing you a song ($2,550); Lyonne will solve this crossword puzzle for you ($2,132); and Busy Philipps joins you in a pottery class and plus class in New York ($2,800). For dog lovers: Adam Scott walks your pooch for an hour in LA ($1,250) before John Lithgow paints a watercolor portrait of your pet ($3,550).
There are plenty of signatures up for grabs, including from the cast of the hit TV series The Bear – Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach – who have all signed an apron that is currently priced at $1,525. Daniel Radcliffe and Weird Al Yankovic signed a Hawaiian jersey and a DVD and CD from the Yankovic biopic Weird ($1,525); and Donald Glover is selling a signed script from the Atlanta Pilot along with the Childish Gambino album My Love on vinyl and a personal note thanking the bidder for his support ($1,100).
Parker Posey has her personal collection of memorabilia from “Dazed and Confused” and “Party Girl” ($700), as well as a bust of Dr. Zachary Smith from 2011’s “Lost in Space” ($172.50) donated. Steven Soderbergh donated his personal working script from the Limey, as well as photos and an on-set newsletter ($810); and Tom Waits is selling a signed, used fedora ($1,250).
The Hollywood strike is dragging on because of one stumbling block: studio greed | Kathleen Sharp
Virtual performances with Maggie Gyllenhaal, Barry Jenkins, Sarah Silverman and the cast of The New Girl are also up for grabs.
The WGA and Sag-Aftra continue to strike to demand higher salaries, residual payments from streaming platforms and some regulation of AI from the AMPTP, the umbrella organization that represents hundreds of film studios, television networks and streaming services. While CEOs represented by the AMPTP claimed such demands were unreasonable or “disturbing,” they did so while reporting billions of dollars in profits to shareholders and approving sky-high pay packages for executives.
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