The SAG-AFTRA president reflects on her 2023 in an essay exclusively written for EW.
After an unprecedented year that saw both Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA actors strike, EW asked SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher to share her thoughts on the past 12 months.
When 2023 began, I knew that we were in for a major negotiation that had to be seminal – but, did I anticipate the year that I had? Not in a million years!
Agreeing on a new contract is a long process, and I knew that this had to be major. I was hopeful we could avert a strike if they were willing to lean into the significant changes that needed to occur to accommodate all the new changes to our industry. But obviously, they were not willing to accept how dire the situation was until they had to.
On a personal level, the more complicated my life became, the simpler my entertainment was required to be. I had zero bandwidth for any more stress, or intensity, or negative — so the things that I watched were limited to a level of entertainment that I didn’t find upsetting. Gregorian chant music, my Buddhist wisdom, The Great British Baking Show, Somebody Feed Phil, and, of course, The Nanny all became the equivalent of twirling my hair, sucking my thumb, and curling up in a fetal position.
It was also comforting to see and experience the solidarity and camaraderie expressed by so many throughout our fight: Having large donations made by some of our highest-paid members was extremely moving, how we as a community support each other during dire straits. And then the support from the rest of the industry was not only strengthening for our own resolution but, I believe, shown employers at large that this is an all-encompassing conversation that is not exclusive to performers.
With the strikes over and contracts ratified, I am so grateful that our industry has returned to work. As everyone gets back to creating again, I would love there to be fewer dystopian stories being told that create fear and hopelessness, when we can use this incredible collaborative art form to inspire humanity into a more empathetic, hopeful, and connecting truth. We all need more of that in our lives. I hope we can all enjoy that in the coming year.
