Dax Shepard Says He’s Feeling ‘Financial Insecurity’ Amid Strikes

Dax Shepard is opening up about his feelings of “financial insecurity” amid the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes. The 48-year-old actor and podcaster opened up about his complicated feelings surrounding finances during Monday’s episode of his Armchair Expert podcast during a discussion with guest Jason Derulo about how money can cause tension in relationships.

As Derulo reflected back on his own childhood watching his parents fight both when things were tight financially as well as when they were in a better spot money-wise, the artist noted that “money fights” can be rooted much deeper. Shepard agreed, explaining just how panicked he’s felt since SAG-AFTRA went on strike in July, joining the WGA, which began striking in May.

“I am currently in a, like, two-month spiral of just completely out of hand financial insecurity,” Shepard said. “This new fear of, ‘I’m gonna somehow be broke or I’m gonna lose everything, podcasting is gonna be over, there’s an actors strike and I’m not gonna act.’ It’s so foundationless, it’s preposterous.” 

Shepard continued that this fear of his doesn’t come from the reality of his situation with wife Kristen Bell but from his childhood. “It’s not related to reality,” he explained. “It’s from growing up poor. I just can’t shake it. So, to your point, you watch your parents fight about money, you think money’s the problem. But money’s not the problem.” Derulo agreed, “It’s not. It’s way deeper rooted.”

SAG-AFTRA voted in July to strike following stalled negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The biggest issues for SAG-AFTRA include the use of artificial intelligence in films and television as well as lower residual payments actors are receiving for streaming as opposed to traditional broadcast models of television. WGA has been striking over many of the same issues.

Tuesday, SAG-AFTRA’s Los Angeles Local and the WGA are holding a National Day of Solidarity rally outside of Disney Studios. “SAG-AFTRA and WGA will join forces with the AFL-CIO and its affiliates from across the nation and across industries for a National Day of Solidarity,” SAG-AFTRA said in a statement. “In this ‘Summer of Strikes,’ working Americans everywhere are fighting for fair contracts, better compensation, safe working conditions and protections from encroaching technology. Together, we are showing corporate America that when we fight, we win!”