Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@yayforzig/Disney
Topics: Disney, Film and TV, SAG-AFTRA Writers Strike
Jess Hardiman
Topics: Disney, Film and TV, SAG-AFTRA Writers Strike
She-Hulk writer Cody Ziglar has slammed Disney CEO Bob Iger after his comments about the writers’ and actors’ strikes, saying he had a residual salary of just $396 for his work on the show.
Iger appeared on CNBC’s Squawk Box show from the Sun Valley Conference in Idaho to address the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike, and the news that SAG-AFTRA planned to join.
He argued that the writers and actors involved in the strike action were not being ‘realistic’ with their expectations – comments that didn’t go down too well among industry workers.
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Iger explained: “It’s very disturbing to me. We’ve talked about disruptive forces on this business and all the challenges we’re facing, the recovery from COVID which is ongoing, it’s not completely back. This is the worst time in the world to add to that disruption.
“I understand any labor organization’s desire to work on behalf of its members to get the most compensation and be compensated fairly based on the value that they deliver. We managed, as an industry, to negotiate a very good deal with the directors guild that reflects the value that the directors contribute to this great business. We wanted to do the same thing with the writers, and we’d like to do the same thing with the actors.
“There’s a level of expectation that they have, that is just not realistic. And they are adding to the set of the challenges that this business is already facing that is, quite frankly, very disruptive.”
As his comments began to circle online, they didn’t go down too well with some people – especially as Iger’s thought to be worth a fair wedge, with Forbes reporting in 2019 that he had a net worth of $690 million.
Emmy-nominated writer Cody Ziglar, who has worked on the likes of Futurama, Rick and Morty and Miles Morales: Spider-Man, claimed that his residual pay for one episode of She-Hulk was just shy of $400.
Quote-tweeting an article about what Iger said, he tweeted: “The residual check from my episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law was $396.”
Doubling down in another tweet, Ziglar added: “This was one of the most watched episodes of television, of one of the most watched television series on Disney +. Even made multiple ‘best episodes of 2022’ lists. My residual check was $396. This is why we’re striking.”
Many people showed their support for Ziglar and other writers, with one commenting on his post: “Ughhh, that is appalling! Something’s gotta give. You and all the writers, actors, etc. deserve to be treated way better. Standing in soldiarity with you, fam.”
Someone else said: “Hey Bob, THIS is very disturbing.”
A third wrote: “That is insane. That was my favorite episode, and i bet Bob had nothing to do with it. hopefully we’ll all get proper pay on the other side of this.”
UNILAD has reached out to Disney for comment.