Hollywood’s striking actors, represented by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), have finally reached a deal on Thursday (November 9), ending 118 days of strike.
And while Hollywood is celebrating a new victory in the history of showbiz, Kevin Bacon had to appropriate the moment to make it all the more jolly.
Highlights
- Kevin Bacon celebrated the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike with his iconic Footloose dance moves on TikTok.
- Hollywood actors' strike ended on November 9 after 118 days with a deal between SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP.
- The union announced a comprehensive deal valued at over $1 billion, including AI protections and a streaming participation bonus.
- Kevin Bacon's celebratory dance video gathered 5.4 million views and resonated with many in the entertainment industry.
Kevin Bacon brought back his iconic Footloose dance moves to celebrate the end of actors' strike
Image credits: kevinbacon
You can watch the actor's celebratory dance below
Taking to his TikTok page, the Footloose star shared a video showcasing his signature smooth dance moves in his yet-to-be-completed barn.
“Strike is over!” the 65-year-old exclaimed.
Kevin’s iconic suave steps were viewed 5.4 million times on the social media platform.
"Is this how I find out the strike is over?" a TikTok user commented.
The Pennsylvania native has become somewhat of a famous TikToker, regularly featuring the goats on his Connecticut farm.
Image credits: kevinbacon
Kevin's feelings resonated with nearly everyone in the entertainment industry, including actors such as Quinta Brunson and Albert Brooks, who joined the widespread celebration of SAG-AFTRA's tentative agreement, reflecting the collective eagerness to return to work.
Kevin rose to international stardom after playing Ren McCormack in the 1984 musical film
Image credits: IMDB
Kevin shared with the Podcrushed podcast that he initially didn't realize he was auditioning for a dance movie when he first tried out for "Footloose."
He recalled: “When I did the dance movie, I was not a dancer. I wasn’t trained as a dancer.
“If I’m being honest, I didn’t even really understand that it was a dance movie.
“I thought it was just a movie, and then, where they would indicate that there was dancing, I would just get up.”
“It’s not a big deal. Just play the record for me and I’ll jump around.”
The 1984 film turned into a massive success, propelling him to fame as an actor with significant dance prowess.
The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) finally reached a deal on Thursday (November 9), ending 118 days of strike
Image credits: sagaftra
The labor union took to X to announce the news
With the strike coming to an end, hopefully, the union’s remaining 65,000 or so film and television actors will also be able to experience such success.
Taking to its official Instagram account, the SAG-AFTRA announced: “We are thrilled and proud to tell you that today your TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee voted unanimously to approve a tentative agreement with the AMPTP.
"As of 12:01am PT on November 9, our strike is officially suspended and all picket locations are closed.”
Image credits: latimes
"When we fight, we win," a group of actors chanted
The union went on to reveal that a comprehensive deal encompassing a “contract valued at over one billion dollars” had been secured, featuring minimum compensation hikes, groundbreaking safeguards against AI threats, and the introduction of a streaming participation bonus.
“Our Pension & Health caps have been substantially raised, which will bring much-needed value to our plans,” it added.
The union continued: “In addition, the deal includes numerous improvements for multiple categories including outsize compensation increases for background performers, and critical contract provisions protecting diverse communities.
“We have arrived at a contract that will enable SAG-AFTRA members from every category to build sustainable careers.
“Many thousands of performers now and into the future will benefit from this work.”
“Full details of the agreement will not be provided until the tentative agreement is reviewed by the SAG-AFTRA National Board,” the union concluded.
Image credits: sagaftra
Hollywood is moving in a promising direction, as its striking writers represented by The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and production workers represented by The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) already reached a tentative agreement in September.
Ending a lengthy 148 days of strike, the Writers Guild prided itself on the “exceptional deal”, which included protections for writers in every sector of the membership.
The use of artificial intelligence has been a common concern for Hollywood’s unions.
SAG-AFTRA had been actively advocating to ensure that movie and TV studios seeking to employ 3D scanning technology on background actors for the purpose of using their likeness in other projects do so with consent and appropriate financial compensation.
As writers reached a deal that put up guardrails to protect them from AI endangering their work, studios have now reportedly agreed to adjust the AI language in their proposal for actors.
While the specifics of the tentative agreement reached on Thursday remain uncertain, it is difficult to envision that the actors did not secure at least some of the AI protections they were advocating for.
Cinema fans were happy to see Footloose come to life again
