Breaking Bad cast reunite to express their concern over artificial intelligence in film and TV
Topics: Celebrity, SAG-AFTRA Writers Strike, Breaking Bad
Stewart Perrie
Featured Image Credit: CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images
Topics: Celebrity, SAG-AFTRA Writers Strike, Breaking Bad
The cast of Breaking Bad has reunited for a cause that has spread across the United States.
Thousands of actors, writers, producers and others involved in the entertainment industry are striking at the moment.
They're demanding better pay conditions in the age of streaming services, improved residuals and a commitment to using artificial intelligence sparingly.
The likes of Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, and Jesse Plemons joined the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) picket outside Sony Pictures Studios this week.
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Paul (who played Jesse Pinkman on the show) revealed he doesn't get anything when people watch his legendary episodes.
“I don’t get a piece from Netflix on Breaking Bad to be totally honest and that’s insane to me,” the actor explained to The Hollywood Reporter.
“I think a lot of these streamers know that they have been getting away with not paying people a fair wage and now it’s time to pony up.”
Plemons said residuals are so important for actors or writers who might not know when their next gig will be.
It might not be much each month, but it's enough to pay for some essentials or put food on the table.
However, Cranston said AI was one of his biggest concerns.
“This contract will have a sentence in there that states, ‘Actors must be human beings'." he said to THR.
"This is mind-boggling, but that’s what it will say, and the same thing with the Writers Guild contract: ‘Must be written by a human being'."
“We’ve never had to imagine that before, but that’s here right now. It’s possible of happening right now and we have to step in and say, ‘You are dehumanizing the workforce and it cannot continue'.”
He admits that the streaming services aren't the bad guys, but the members of SAG-AFTRA and WGA want to draw a line in the sand now before things get out of hand.
Cranston is hoping movie studios and platforms come together with a commitment to put the stars in front of and behind the camera first.
"We’re not making them [studios and streamers] the enemy, they’re not villains," he said.
"These are people we all will be working with once again at some point. We just want them to see reality and fairness and come back to the table and talk to us.”