Once ‘The Nanny,' Now Center Stage as the Actors' Union Leader

The tone was also different. The voice was clear.

Fran Drescher is a star of the hit sitcom "The Nanny" with a nasal Queens accent. She appeared in front of dozens of cameras on Thursday as the president for the actors' union who voted unanimously to go on strike earlier that day. Her fiery arguments portrayed the stakes.

Ms. Drescher stated that the eyes of the entire world, and in particular the eyes of workers, are on us. What happens to us matters. 'What happens to us affects all areas of work.

She was indignant and shook her hands. I am shocked at the way that the people with whom we do business treat us! She continued. It is disgusting. Shame on them!

Ms. Drescher, who is the newest in a line of familiar faces, including Ronald Reagan, Patty Duke, and Charlton Heston, has been named the new president of SAG-AFTRA. This union represents tens thousands of actors. It's a surprise plot twist for her long career.

She is now, as the news conference on Thursday made clear to all, a national leader of a resurgent labour movement. The fate of up to 160,000 actors could be determined by how she handles the situation in the weeks and months ahead.

The actors' strike that will take place on Friday marks a critical point in Hollywood. Hollywood has been shaken by the sweeping and pandemic technological changes with the rise of streaming, and the steady decline in cable television and box-office returns. Hollywood writers have been striking for months. Now, actors are joining them. This is the first time that both sides of the industry are on strike simultaneously since 1960.

Ms. Drescher has been acting for decades in Hollywood. She has appeared in both television and films. She has appeared in a few television shows and films since her role as the nanny in 'The Nanny,' which was her most notable role in the 90s. Most recently, she starred in a NBC sitcom called 'Indebted' that lasted only 12 episodes. It was cancelled in 2020.

She has expressed her concern about corporate greed by captioning pictures with slogans such as 'STOP GREED NOW'. New York Magazine was satisfied to simply put a

Headline for a blog post from 2017

, 'Your New Favorite Anti-Capitalist Icon Is Fran Drescher.'

In 2021, Ms. Drescher was elected to the guild's presidency after a fiercely contested election against actor Matthew Modine. Both represented different groups: Ms. Drescher for Unite for Strength Party and Mr. Modine for Membership First, a new group.

The race became so bitter, that Ms. Drescher accused Mr. Modine of spreading lies about him.

According to reports,

"I'm ashamed, I'm sorry for Fran Drescher. She'll be judged after her death by the world or the God that she worships.

The actors are known for their internal squabbles. Unlike screenwriters who have been on strike numerous times and have always been united, the actors are more notorious for their intramural disputes. Hollywood was bracing itself for a writers' strike ever since the start of the year, but few executives and producers expected the actors to be so determined.

When Drescher became president, she promised to unite the union.

Bring an end

"This union is a dysfunctional mess."

The actors' strike authorization was approved with 97.9 per cent of the vote, a staggering figure that exceeded the strike authorization for writers. Membership First, an opposition party, announced its intention to strike last month.

endorsed

Ms. Drescher's re-election bid.

Ms. Drescher at a picket with writers' union members in Los Angeles, May.

Credit...

Chris Pizzello/Associated Press

Despite her recent public statements, many people are still confused by some of the actions and comments she has made.

The video was released in late June by Ms. Drescher, the union's chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree Ireland, and it surprised many viewers, given the stakes involved.

She said wearing a military jacket, 'I want to assure that we're having very productive negotiations which are laser-focused to all the important issues you've told us are most crucial to you.' We are going to reach a landmark deal, we will stand strong!

Days later, Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence and more than 1,000 other actors signed a letter to the union leadership expressing their concern that they did not take into consideration their willingness to strike. The letter stated: 'We hope, on behalf of our union, that you will not miss this moment'.

Ms. Drescher, despite her position in the company, added her signature to this letter.

Kim Kardashian posed with Ms. Drescher at a Dolce & Gabbana couture fashion show on Monday in Puglia. Days before her contract was due to expire, she was also attending a Dolce & Gabbana couture fashion show. Ms. Kardashian wrote to her 362,000,000 Instagram followers: "To my fashion idol!" Always on my moodboard! This woman is amazing!

Kim Kardashian shared this photo on Monday with Ms. Drescher from the Dolce & Gabbana Fashion Show in Puglia.

Credit...

Kim Kardashian, via Instagram

The reaction was swift and fierce. Nancy Lee Grahn, an actress from 'General Hospital,' questioned if it was a joke. I hope this isn't true. This can't possibly be. She said, "No one could be so stupid."

Writer

Tweets

A spokeswoman from the actors' union stated in a statement that Ms. Drescher worked as a "brand ambassador" for Dolce and Gabbana and that this commitment was "fully known to the negotiation committee." Mr. Crabtree Ireland called the criticism of Ms. Drescher’s appearance at a fashion show as 'outrageous,' and he described it as 'despicable.

Drescher spoke about the topic at the Thursday news conference. She said that it was a lot of work and she kept in touch with the negotiators abroad. I was doing hair and makeup for three hours every day while walking on cobblestones in heels. It's work to do things like this. "Not fun."

Ms. Drescher, on the other hand, spoke spontaneously. Mr. Crabtree Ireland spoke from a teleprompter.

She said, "Wake up and smell coffee!" about the studios. We demand respect! You can't exist without us.

She continued by pointing a finger at the camera banks. We stand together in unprecedented solidarity. 'Our union, sister unions and unions from around the globe stand by us.