Bryan Cranston, the Emmy-winning actor best known for his work in “Breaking Bad” and “Malcolm in the Middle,” has some choice words for Disney CEO Bob Iger: “We will not allow you to take away our dignity.”
Cranston took the stage at SAG-AFTRA’s “Rock the City for a Fair Wage” rally in Times Square on Tuesday. After a couple of jokes and comments praising union solidarity, Cranston noted that the rally was taking place right in front of a building owned by Disney.
“I have a message for Mr. Iger: I know you look at things through a different lens. We don’t expect you to understand who we are. But we ask you to hear us and, beyond that, to listen to us when we tell you we will not be having our jobs taken away and given to robots,” Cranston said to cheers. “We will not have you take away our right to work and earn a decent living. And lastly and most importantly, we will not allow you to take away our dignity.”
Earlier this month, Iger called the WGA and SAG-AFTRA’s conditions “just not realistic” while attending Sun Valley, Idaho, for what has been called “billionaire summer camp.”
Right before Cranston, Steve Buscemi took the stage, saying, “Nobody wanted this. We are here because so much is at stake.” The “Boardwalk Empire” actor then emphasized SAG-AFTRA’s concerns about fair pay, revenue sharing, healthcare, retirement, a fair casting process and AI protection.
“These are reasonable things to ask for. They are, in fact, essential. We are here because this moment is crucial. We stand together strong with ourselves and with our fellow union members of the WGA,” Buscemi continued. “Writers got to write. Actors got to act. And the AMPTP has to do right by us.”
Cranston and Buscemi weren’t the only actors who attended the rally. Christine Baranski, Christian Slater, Tituss Burgess and F. Murray Abraham were all among the names who gave speeches in Times Square.
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