LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Tom Cruise is one of the few A-listers who has participated in the SAG-AFTRA’s negotiation with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). We may have to wait in order to see Tom Cruise at the picketing lines, but if sources are to be believed, the ‘Mission: Impossible’ star has been present during a negotiation meeting between the SAG-AFTRA and AMPPTP.

The contract between the SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP was due to expire on July 1. However, there was a 12-day extension to the agreement just so that the two groups could have time to negotiate and reach a mutually acceptable settlement. During one such negotiation meeting, Tom Cruise was reportedly present as per The Hollywood Reporter, advocating for the SAG-AFTRA.

Is Tom Cruise also among the actors on strike?

As the strike was announced, Cruise, filming his ‘Mission: Impossible 8’, stopped the shooting process in solidarity with the actors’ union. It is also said that when he attended the meeting with SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP, he strongly advocated against the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in productions. In its proposal, the SAG-AFTRA has a separate segment focused on the use of generative AI in entertainment. They opined that the performer’s consent is needed and they should be compensated when their artistic likeness is used in future projects. It is believed that Cruise made a case for this during the meeting. The ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ star has also made a case for the action stunt teams, from stunt coordinators to stunt performers.

However, Cruise had some suggestions for the representatives of the SAG-AFTRA too, as he asked them to allow actors to promote their movies, considering the fragile state of movie theaters, which according to a person present there, felt “uncomfortable”. It is to be noted here that Cruise’s latest movie, ‘Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1’, was released on July 12 and was heavily promoting the film before the strike commenced.

Other A-listers who support the strike

Apart from Tom Cruise, other A-listers who have supported the strike are Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lawrence. As per Rolling Stone who obtained a letter in late June that was signed by the likes of Lena Waithe, Laura Linney, Sarah Polley and Quinta Brunson, said that “a strike brings incredible hardships to so many, and no one wants it. But we are prepared to strike if it comes to that.” The signatories said that 2023 marks an “unprecedented inflection point in our industry,” and added, “what might be considered good in any other years is simply not enough.” The letter continued “SAG-AFTRA members may be ready to make sacrifices that leadership is not,” before adding, “We feel that our wages, our craft, our creative freedom, and the power of our union have all been undermined in the last decade. We need to reverse those trajectories.”