Hollywood Stars Donate Millions to SAG-AFTRA Foundation

SAG-AFTRA Foundation president Courtney B. Vance announced Wednesday that the nonprofit organization has raised more than $15 million for its emergency financial assistance program thanks largely to contributions from more than a dozen of Hollywood’s A-listers stars who’ve donated $1 million or more.

“The entertainment industry is in crisis and the SAG-AFTRA Foundation is currently processing more than 30 times our usual number of applications for emergency aid,” Vance said in a statement about the fundraising efforts over the last three weeks. 

He added, "We received 400 applications in the last week alone. It’s a massive challenge, but we’re determined to meet this moment.”

Last week, it was reported that Dwayne Johnson had contributed a “historic” seven-figure donation, a figure which Vance described as “a call to arms” for everyone to “step up however you can.” 

Hollywood's top-earning stars who have also answered the call included: George and Amal Clooney; Luciana and Matt Damon; Leonardo DiCaprio; Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness; Nicole Kidman; Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck; Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively; Julia Roberts; Arnold Schwarzenegger; Meryl Streep; and Oprah Winfrey.

“I appealed to our community to remember how tough it was coming up, and the response to help their fellow performers has been incredible, immediate, and heartwarming,” Vance said of their contributions, acknowledging Johnson, who “helped kick-start this campaign.”

He then saluted Streep and Clooney, both longtime champions of the foundation and members of its Actors’ Council, who “stepped up with $1 million donations, emails, and many calls-to-action rallying others to give generously.”

Vance concluded, “We’ve crushed our initial goal because our people are coming together, but we still aren’t done. Our fundraising will continue in order to meet the overwhelming needs of our community now and in the future.”

News of the combined eight-figure donation comes as SAG-AFTRA actors hit the picket lines for a third week, while WGA writers have been on strike for more than 90 days.