Posted in: Disney+, Marvel, Opinion, streaming, TV, TV | Tagged: bob iger, disney, Marvel Studios, she-hulk, tatiana maslany

She-Hulk Star Maslany: Disney CEO Bob Iger "Completely Out of Touch"

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law star Tatiana Maslany discusses the SAG-AFTRA & WGA strikes, and responds to Disney CEO Bob Iger's earlier comments.

It's pretty safe to say that Disney CEO Bob Iger's comments regarding the SAG-AFTRA & WGA strikes against the AMPTP from earlier this month, where he referred to the unions' points as "just not realistic" (more on that below), are going to be something that follows him around moving forward. It became the rallying cry for SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher, and striking members of both unions haven't hesitated to share their reactions to what Iger offered (or didn't offer) to the conversation. During an event where Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joined the SAG-AFTRA & WGA picket lines in New York City and spoke to the media in support of the unions, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law star Tatiana Maslany (HBO's Perry Mason, BBC's Orphan Black) explained why she's out on the picket lines ("I know where people fall through the cracks and where people are taken advantage of…") and responded to Iger's comments.

"I have friends who have been doing this for 30 to 40 years and have lost their health care because the minimums are so relatively low, but wages have gone down, [and] people's quotes no longer stand for anything. It's just like we've been completely cast aside," Maslany explained when speaking with The Hollywood Reporter. "Having worked on a Disney show, I know where people fall through the cracks and where people are taken advantage of, and it's outrageous the amount of wealth that is not shared with the people who actually make the show. That's crew, cast, writers." As for Iger, Maslany sees it as another example of someone who is "completely out of touch" when it comes to those who contribute to making The Mouse a success. "I think he's completely out of touch. He's completely out of touch with the workers who make his shows happen, who make people watch these shows, who bring viewers to him and him money," the "She-Hulk" star added.

"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," Iger offered CNBC's David Faber earlier this month during a morning edition of CNBC's Squawk Box from Idaho's Sun Valley Conference. "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."

Iger went on to say that although he understands the unions looking for "as much as they possibly can in compensation for their people," he believes that writers and actors must "be realistic about the business environment, and what this business can deliver." The Disney CEO continued, "It will have a very, very damaging effect on the whole business, and unfortunately, there's huge collateral damage in the industry to people who are supportive services, and I could go on and on. It will affect the economy of different regions, even because of the sheer size of the business. It's a shame; it is really a shame."

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