Shonda Rhimes is supporting her striking fellow Hollywood writers — and won’t be crossing any picket lines.
The decorated Grey’s Anatomy showrunner, whose Bridgerton spinoff “Queen Charlotte debuted on Netflix hours before the Writers Guild of America began striking, addressed entertainment industry peers Wednesday.
“I am a writer on strike right now,” Rhimes told moderator and journalist Wajahat Ali at the Midnight Theatre in New York, where she was honoured with a BAFTA special award, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Unionised screenwriters began striking after the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers failed to reach a deal by the May 1 deadline, halting major TV productions. Key contentions are pay, staffing and residuals.
“I really wish that we didn’t have to be on strike, and I feel the pain of the people who are dealing with the strike, but for me, for writers to get paid for what they do in a fair way is far more important,” Rhimes said, per the Reporter.
“To have somebody devalue art, it’s bad enough as it is right now,” Rhimes continued. “That’s happening everywhere. But for writers to not be able to make a living wage while making a television show or making a movie is a problem.”
Other industry titans also have thrown support behind what the union has called an “existential crisis”. Former Tonight Show host Jay Leno, who aired reruns for months during the 2007-2008 WGA strike in support of the guild, handed out donuts Tuesday.
Before accepting her BAFTA award, Rhimes also touched on diversity and inclusion. When asked about a Black actor portraying Queen Charlotte, she said creators of colour face pressure that their white counterparts never experience.
“Whenever everybody asks that of me, I say, ‘Did you ask John Wells, did you ask this person?’ Like ask the white guys who aren’t doing it,” said Rhimes.
“It’s not hard, but I do think a lot of it is getting uncomfortable and looking around and realising that your circle is not inclusive of anybody,” she continued. “If you can look around the table and only see yourself, something is wrong with your table. Something is really wrong.”