'Chicago Med' Stars Speak out on Hollywood Strikes as Season 9 Is Put on Hold
'Chicago Med' stars Steven Weber, S. Epatha Merkerson, and Jessy Schram have some words about the strikes.
With Season 9 of Chicago Med on hold due to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, stars Steven Weber, S. Epatha Merkerson, and Jessy Schram are all speaking out about it. The three actors are some of the many either taking to the picket lines and/or speaking out about what exactly is going on and why everyone is striking. Weber, who portrays Dr. Archer on the NBC medical drama, took to Instagram to say that he has "acted alongside background artists (formerly referred to as 'extras') for the 40 years I have been fortunate enough to work as an actor (and been a background artist myself)."
"It can be fun and engaging, but it is mostly a challenging job requiring extreme patience and skill," Weber continued. "Background artists are essential to television and film production. It is truly incomprehensible that 'management' is putting every human element it can find in the crosshairs in order to maximize profit. It's cruel, stupid, and a bad business model, except if your business is a goddamn pyramid scheme."
Similarly, his co-star S. Epatha Merkerson, who portrays Sharon Goodwin on Chicago Med, also posted a lengthy message on Instagram about how AI is not good for the entertainment industry, pointing out that "the BG (non-union AND union) who work on Chicago Med won't be protected from AI" and that since "Chicago is not one of the SAG-AFTRA BG zones,' she says that "even BG who are members of SAG-AFTRA working on Chicago Med are paid the same (minimum wage/8, 1.5xx after 8) and treated the same as the non-union BG on UNION productions."
"Non-union BG who put in a lot of time and energy into these shows aren't eligible to join SAG-AFTRA in Chicago, and those who are in the union got there via co-star bookings from auditions or on-set upgrades," Merkerson continued. "And those who choose to continue to work as BG who are in the union, THEIR union doesn't have to take care of them in Chicago. Don't your fellow union members deserve to make a fair wage and have protections on UNION shows/films outside of the SAG-AFTRA BG zones? BG ARE BEING EXPLOITED IN CHICAGO!"
Meanwhile, on the first day of the strike, Jessy Schram, who plays Dr. Hannah Asher, took to the picket lines with her friends, fellow actors, and writers. She documented her day on Instagram, putting in a mix of photos and videos from the picket lines, also writing a lengthy message saying that she's been a SAG member since 1997. I've always felt the protection of my union and feel lucky and proud that it continues to fight to protect me and 159,000+ entertainers, to continue making chasing dreams and making a living-safely, financially, and respectfully- in this world we call show business."
As the strike continues, it's expected that more and more actors will continue to take to the picket lines in front of major studios, or at the very least, tell their own story and speak out on social media about it. There isn't any indication that these strikes will be ending any time soon, but hopefully, that won't be the case.
While Chicago Med likely won't be part of NBC's fall schedule, fans can still watch all eight seasons on Peacock. Season 9 probably won't be here until at least midseason 2024 or later, but it will give people plenty of time to catch up.