Film

November 07, 2007

"Melissa Gilbert should be apologizing to the WGA."

Francisfi_todd_15099660_600 Frances Fisher is reacquainting herself with Los Angeles geography. The actress, who's in the midst of working on "The Oaks" for showrunner Shawn Ryan, has hit five different picket lines in first three days of the WGA strike -- Universal and Prospect on Monday, Fox and Raleigh Manhattan Beach on Tuesday and Paramount on Wednesday.

She allowed that she'd been on the Paramount lot a decade ago for a pre-release screening of "Titanic," in which played the mother of Kate Winslet's Rose Bukater. "All this walking is a great way to stay in shape," she said.

Fisher, who was walking the line at Paramount with fellow SAG board member Valerie Harper, was reflecting on the roots of the strike. And she blamed the SAG national board, led by then-president Melissa Gilbert, for its decision in early 2004 to agree to a one-year extension of its deal -- which effectively de-linked with SAG's expiration date from the WGA's and placed in synch with the DGA's.

The SAG and DGA contracts both expire next June 30; the WGA's expired on Halloween.

"What we did was put the WGA in a less powerful position, which led to this strike" she added. "And I think Melissa Gilbert should be out here apologizing to the WGA."

-- Dave McNary

Photo of Frances Fisher by Todd Williamson/Wireimage.com.

"The Office" writers walk the line

Writer/actors of "The Office" on the picket line explain their POV, namely how they haven't been paid for the Emmy-winning webisodes they wrote - "We wanna be paid fair for our promotions."

November 06, 2007

Strike Photos: Day One

A skeptic speaks...

Howard Gould speaks to the WGA membership about standing strong on internet residuals at the big Nov 1 meeting:  "If they see us roll over on this issue, in three years they'll be back for something else."

 

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