Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis is taking a stand in solidarity with the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.
The actress, 57, has stepped back from filming the action thriller "G20", despite the project getting the union's interim agreement necessary to begin production without violating strike terms.
"I love this movie, but I do not feel that it would be appropriate for this production to move forward during the strike,” Davis said in a statement.
“I appreciate that the producers on the project agree with this decision. JuVee Productions and I stand in solidarity with actors, SAG/AFTRA, and the WGA.”
Davis' decision could set a precedent for other Hollywood stars as she's one of the first big names to back away from production for the duration of the strike.
Last week, Tobias Menzies made a similar move, telling the outlet that he'd joined Brad Pitt in stepping away from the Apple movie Apex.
“They’re not shooting with any SAG actors, so I’m stood down,” the British actor said.
SAG-AFTRA announced on its website on Friday that G20 was approved for a waiver. The movie — which Davis was set to produce and star in — got the green light from the actors guild, despite the involvement of Amazon Studios, because it originates from the non-AMPTP [Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers]-affiliated MRC and will only be distributed by Amazon.
The actors guild so far has granted more than 100 interim agreements to films and shows — among them, Apple TV+’s series "Tehran", the Civil War drama "The Gray House", and Glenn Close's "The Summer Book".
SAG-AFTRA's national executive director and chief negotiator, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, spoke about the waiver process to Deadline, explaining that for each potential exemption granted the union considers several factors, including, "fundamentally, are there AMPTP fingerprints on the project or not? If there aren’t and we verify that through our staff, who review these things, then they’ll be eligible for an interim agreement.”
He added, "If there are AMPTP connections to the project, then they won’t be. That’s the big picture answer."
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