98-536: Francine Joy Drescher (born September 30, 1957) is an American actress, writer, producer, and trade union leader, currently serving as the national president of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). She is best known for her role as Fran Fine in the television sitcom The Nanny (1993–1999), which she created and produced with her then-husband Peter Marc Jacobson . Drescher made her screen debut with
196-464: A Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award , in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards , a British Academy Film Award , and three Screen Actors Guild Awards . Travolta came to prominence starring in the sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter (1975–1979), followed by leading roles in Carrie (1976), Grease (1978), Urban Cowboy (1980), and Blow Out (1981). He earned nominations for
294-439: A 20th high school reunion on an episode of The Nanny . Drescher and Jacobson attended Queens College, City University of New York , but dropped out in their first year because "all the acting classes were filled." They then enrolled in cosmetology school. Drescher's first break was a small role as dancer Connie in the movie Saturday Night Fever (1977), in which she delivered the line "So, are you as good in bed as you are on
392-444: A basic minimum agreement with the union, which is in full force and effect, in any jurisdiction in which there is a SAG-AFTRA national collective bargaining agreement in place. This provision applies worldwide. Simply put, a SAG-AFTRA member must always work under a union contract around the globe. "Do not work" orders are formally issued to denote productions that have not entered into the required agreements. After approximately
490-639: A competitive disadvantage as many of their peer agencies were not signatories. SAG-AFTRA members' successful strike actions, including pickets and rallies throughout the US, proved a success for SAG-AFTRA. Several actions of note included a rally of 1,000 SAG-AFTRA members and supporters near SAG-AFTRA Headquarters at the La Brea Tar Pits , and a picket line at BBH Headquarters in Los Angeles that drew an estimated 1,000 members standing in solidarity on
588-440: A female friend were raped by the other robber at gunpoint. Jacobson was also physically attacked, tied up, and forced to witness the entire ordeal. It took Drescher many years to recover, and it took her even longer to tell her story to the press. She was paraphrased as saying in an interview with Larry King that although it was a traumatic experience, she found ways to turn it into something positive. In her book Cancer Schmancer ,
686-535: A film adaptation. The film received almost universally negative reviews and did very poorly at the box office. Travolta's performance in Battlefield Earth also earned him two Razzie Awards . Throughout the 2000s, Travolta remained busy as an actor, starring in Swordfish (2001); Domestic Disturbance (2001); Ladder 49 (2004); Be Cool (2005); Lonely Hearts (2006); Wild Hogs (2007);
784-597: A hit single titled " Let Her In ", peaking at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in July 1976. In the next few years, he starred in the television movie The Boy in the Plastic Bubble and two of his most noted screen roles: Tony Manero in the dance drama Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Danny Zuko in the musical Grease (1978). The films were among the most commercially successful pictures of
882-856: A junior at age 17 in 1971. After dropping out of school, Travolta moved across the Hudson River to New York City and landed a role in the touring company of the musical Grease as Doody and on Broadway in Over Here! , singing the Sherman Brothers ' song " Dream Drummin' ". He then moved to Los Angeles for professional reasons. Travolta's first screen role in California was as a fall victim in Emergency! (Season 2, Episode 2) in September 1972, but his first significant movie role
980-598: A letter, written by Singer in response to allegations in a book by Randolph, was protected by free speech. Travolta was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performances in Saturday Night Fever and Pulp Fiction . He won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for his performance in Get Shorty and has received a total of six nominations,
1078-523: A military investigator in The General's Daughter (1999). In 2000, Travolta starred in and co-produced the science fiction film Battlefield Earth , based on the novel of the same name by L. Ron Hubbard , in which he played the villainous leading role as a leader of a group of aliens that enslaves humanity on a bleak future Earth. The film was a dream project for Travolta since the book's release in 1982, when Hubbard wrote to him to try to help make
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#17327910912911176-843: A movie-buff loan shark in Get Shorty (1995), a factory worker in White Man's Burden (1995), a corrupt U.S. Air Force pilot in Broken Arrow (1996), an everyman with extraordinary powers in Phenomenon (1996), an archangel in Michael (1996), an FBI agent and terrorist in Face/Off (1997), a desperate attorney in A Civil Action (1998), a Bill Clinton –esque presidential candidate in Primary Colors (1998), and
1274-751: A professional dancer and lost 20 pounds (9.1 kg); the film was a financial success, grossing over $ 65 million, though it, too, was scorned by critics. During that time, Travolta was offered, but declined, lead roles in what would become box-office hits, including American Gigolo and An Officer and a Gentleman , both of which went to Richard Gere , as well as Splash , which went to Tom Hanks . In 1989, Travolta starred with Kirstie Alley in Look Who's Talking , which grossed $ 297 million, making it his most successful film since Grease . Travolta subsequently starred in Look Who's Talking Too (1990) and Look Who's Talking Now (1993), but it
1372-463: A second-season episode of Who's the Boss? in 1985 as an interior decorator. She also had an appearance on Night Court as a woman with dissociative identity disorder who flips from a prude to a sexually minded woman and ends up in a hotel with Assistant District Attorney Dan Fielding . In 1990, Drescher appeared on ALF as Roxanne, the wife of grown-up Brian, who had no clue she was a mob boss, in
1470-673: A small role in the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever and later appeared in American Hot Wax (1978) and Wes Craven 's horror film Stranger in Our House (1978). In the 1980s, she gained recognition as a comedic actress in the films Gorp (1980), The Hollywood Knights (1980), Doctor Detroit (1983), This Is Spinal Tap (1984), and UHF (1989) while establishing a television career with guest appearances on several series. In 1993, she achieved wider fame as Fran Fine in her own sitcom vehicle The Nanny , for which she
1568-423: A third of the union's total membership has consistently been considered "withdrawn", "suspended", or otherwise not categorized as "active" members. These members are ineligible to vote in the union. "Honorable withdrawals" constitute the largest portion of these, at 20% of the total membership, or 46,934 members. "Suspended payment" members are the second largest, at 14%, or 33,422 members. This classification scheme
1666-497: A truly fair process." In August 2016, Telemundo once again found itself up against the union when the network refused to air an ad placed by SAG-AFTRA detailing the unfair wage gap and lack of benefits Telemundo employees face as opposed to unionized performers at NBCUniversal. The ad was set to air during the network's premiere people's choice awards Premios Tu Mundo but was never placed into rotation. A Telemundo spokesperson responded saying, "After legal review, we have concluded
1764-404: A video game, which have traditionally not been used in the video game industry. SAG-AFTRA members sought to bring equity for video game actors as in other industries, while the video game companies feared that giving residuals to actors would overshadow the contributions of programmers and artists that contribute to the games. It was the first such organized strike within the video game industry and
1862-403: A while". Travolta is a pilot and rated to fly Boeing 707 , 737 , and 747 planes. He owns four aircraft. Travolta owned an ex-Qantas Boeing 707-138B (Ex-VH-EBM) which bears an old livery of Qantas , and Travolta acted as an official goodwill ambassador for the airline wherever he flew. Travolta named his 707 "Jett Clipper Ella", in honor of his children. The "Clipper" in the name refers to
1960-475: A woman named Fran Fine who casually became the nanny of Margaret ("Maggie") (played by Nicholle Tom ), Brighton ("B") (played by Benjamin Salisbury ), and Grace ("Gracie") Sheffield (played by Madeline Zima ); with her wit and her charm, she endeared herself to their widower father: stuffy, composed, proper British gentleman and Broadway producer Maxwell Sheffield ( Charles Shaughnessy ). She reprised her This
2058-788: A year and a half of negotiations, SAG-AFTRA issued a strike on October 21, 2016, against eleven American video game developers and publishers, including Activision , Electronic Arts , Insomniac Games , Take 2 Interactive , and WB Games . The strike resulted from attempted negotiations since February 2015 to replace the previous contract, the Interactive Media Agreement, that expired in late 2014. There were four major issues they fought for with this strike: establishing transparency in contract negotiation; preventing vocal stress from long recording sessions; providing safety assurances for stunt coordinators on performance capture sets; and giving payments of residuals based on sales of
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#17327910912912156-622: Is Spinal Tap character of Bobbi Flekman, a look-alike for her Fran Fine character, in season 5, episode 3, of The Nanny . Drescher appeared in Jack (1996), directed by Francis Ford Coppola , The Beautician and the Beast (1997) (for which she was also executive producer) and Picking Up the Pieces (2000) co-starring Woody Allen . She was also the voice of "Pearl" in Shark Bait (2006). In
2254-667: Is an American labor union formed in 2012 by the merger of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists . It represents approximately 160,000 media professionals worldwide. SAG-AFTRA is a member of the AFL-CIO , the largest federation of unions in the United States. SAG-AFTRA is also a member of the International Federation of Actors . The organization
2352-606: Is carried over from the Screen Actors Guild rather than the one used by AFTRA. The union is perceived as having two factions. The larger faction ("United for Strength") says it is focused on creating job opportunities for members. A second faction ("Membership First") has criticized the current administration for being too quick and soft when it comes to negotiations with studios. Global Rule One states: No member shall render any services or make an agreement to perform services for any employer who has not executed
2450-424: Is considered a rite of passage for new performers and media professionals. It is often procured after getting hired for their first job in a studio that has a collective bargaining agreement with the union. SAG-AFTRA work is considered to be substantially more prestigious than non-union jobs. Due to the size and influence of the union, most major media firms have a collective bargaining agreement with SAG-AFTRA through
2548-688: The Billboard Hot 100 's Top 40 . His albums have typically accompanied films he has starred in, such as Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture (1978), which topped the Billboard 200 . Travolta is also a private pilot . The youngest of six children, Travolta was born and raised in Englewood, New Jersey , an inner-ring suburb of New York City in Bergen County, New Jersey . His father, Salvatore "Sam" Travolta,
2646-574: The Academy Award for Best Actor for his roles in Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Pulp Fiction (1994). His other notable films include Get Shorty (1995), Broken Arrow (1996), Michael (1996), Face/Off (1997), A Civil Action (1998), Primary Colors (1998), The General's Daughter (1999), The Punisher (2004), Wild Hogs (2007), Hairspray (2007), Bolt (2008), and Savages (2012). Travolta returned to television portraying lawyer Robert Shapiro in
2744-504: The Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers . Studios that have signed a collective bargaining agreement with SAG-AFTRA are not closed shops but are generally required to give preference to union members when hiring. Nearly all professional actors and media professionals working for medium or large-scale American media firms are union members. According to SAG-AFTRA's Department of Labor records since its founding, around
2842-604: The Congressional Record . In September 2008, Drescher, a Democrat , was appointed as a U.S. diplomat by George W. Bush administration's Assistant Secretary of State Goli Ameri . Her official title was Public Diplomacy Envoy for Women's Health Issues. In traveling throughout the world, she supported U.S. public diplomacy efforts, including working with health organizations and women's groups to raise awareness of women's health issues, cancer awareness and detection, and patient empowerment and advocacy. Her first trip
2940-675: The Golden Globe Awards and the Oscars . The awards focus both on individual performances and on the work of the entire ensemble of a drama series and comedy series, and the cast of a motion picture. SAG-AFTRA has a diverse membership consisting of actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, disc jockeys, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists, and other media professionals. Membership in SAG-AFTRA
3038-520: The Grease soundtrack album. After the failure of the romance Moment by Moment (1978), in which he starred with Lily Tomlin , Travolta rebounded in 1980, riding a nationwide country music craze that followed on the heels of his hit film Urban Cowboy , in which he starred with Debra Winger . Travolta followed up Urban Cowboy with a starring role in Brian de Palma 's 1981 film Blow Out , which
Fran Drescher - Misplaced Pages Continue
3136-622: The Lincoln Center with the New York Philharmonic . On January 8, 2020, it was announced that Drescher and Jacobson were writing the book for a musical adaptation of The Nanny . Rachel Bloom and Adam Schlesinger of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend were brought on to compose the songs prior to Schlesinger's death in April 2020, while Marc Bruni ( Beautiful: The Carole King Musical ) was slated to direct. Drescher will not portray
3234-502: The NBC sitcom Indebted . The national members of the trade union SAG-AFTRA , representing actors and other media professionals, elected Drescher as their president on September 2, 2021, and she took office that October 15. Drescher led the union during the five month actors' strike that began on July 14, 2023, concurrently with the writers' strike that began in May. Francine Joy Drescher
3332-613: The National Labor Relations Board administered a secret vote amongst 124 Telemundo performers, based on the amount of time actors have worked on telenovela dramas and other shows. SAG-AFTRA announced that 81% of eligible voters chose to unionize in a balloting process that began Feb 7 and lasted four weeks. On July 12, 2018, SAG-AFTRA announced it had reached a first-ever tentative agreement with Telemundo Television Studios covering Spanish-language television performers, after fifteen months of negotiations. Among
3430-939: The Universal Life Church Monastery so that she could legally officiate LGBT wedding ceremonies. Drescher has been the recipient of the John Wayne Institute's Woman of Achievement Award, the Gilda Award, the City of Hope Woman of the Year Award, the Hebrew University Humanitarian Award, and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine's Spirit of Achievement Award. In 2006, she was honored with the City of Hope Spirit of Life Award, which
3528-512: The 2000s, Drescher made a return to television both with leading and guest roles. In 2003, Drescher appeared in episodes of the short-lived sitcom Good Morning, Miami as Roberta Diaz. In 2005, she returned with the sitcom Living with Fran , in which she played Fran Reeves, a middle-aged mother of two living with Riley Martin ( Ryan McPartlin ), a man half her age and not much older than her son. Former Nanny costar Charles Shaughnessy appeared as her philandering ex-husband, Ted. Living with Fran
3626-489: The Disney animated film Bolt (2008), in which Travolta voiced the title character ; The Taking of Pelham 123 ; and Old Dogs (both 2009). In 2007, Travolta played Edna Turnblad in the remake of Hairspray , his first musical since Grease . Since 2010, Travolta has starred mostly in action films and thrillers , such as From Paris with Love (2010) and Savages (2012). In 2016, he returned to television in
3724-409: The Interactive Media Agreement. Roughly 2,600 people who were employed in the video game industry for voice acting, motion capture and other work would participate in the strike. On February 9, 2016, NBCUniversal , Telemundo 's parent company, faced claims by SAG-AFTRA of operating under a double standard between its Spanish-language and English-language talent at NBC and Telemundo. In its response,
3822-777: The Jett Travolta Foundation, a nonprofit organization to help children with special needs. It has contributed to organizations such as the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy , Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential , and Simon Wiesenthal Center . On July 12, 2020, Travolta's wife, Kelly Preston, died at the age of 57, at their home in Clearwater, Florida , two years after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Preston had undergone treatment at different hospitals, and at
3920-1083: The Motion Picture Association of America as well as other entertainment industry unions, SAG-AFTRA launched the Green Council Initiative that would aim to encourage and promote environmentally responsible entertainment. According to Deadline , founding members would include Fran Drescher , Cate Blanchett , Robert Redford , Meryl Streep , Jeff Bridges , Diane Keaton , Kevin Bacon , Kyra Sedgwick , Salma Hayek , Gloria Estefan , Peter Sarsgaard , Rosario Dawson , Billy Porter , Aida Rodriguez , Jason Momoa , Rachel Bloom , Chris Colfer , David Dastmalchian , and Ellen Crawford ." As SAG, there were 28 presidents from 1933 to 2012 (with Ralph Morgan , Robert Montgomery , and Ronald Reagan holding non-consecutive, separate terms in office), and as AFTRA there were 22 presidents from 1937 to 2012. In 2012, Ken Howard (who had been
4018-485: The President of SAG since 2009) became the first president of SAG-AFTRA, the merger between the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists . In addition, he worked as co-president with former AFTRA President Roberta Reardon from 2012 to 2013. Upon his death in 2016, he was succeeded by Gabrielle Carteris who served as President until 2021. She was followed by Fran Drescher (of
Fran Drescher - Misplaced Pages Continue
4116-505: The US version of the Australian improvisational comedy series Thank God You're Here . In 2008, Drescher announced that she was developing a new sitcom entitled The New Thirty , also starring Rosie O'Donnell . A series about two old high school friends coping with midlife crises, Drescher described the premature plot of the show as "kind of Sex and the City but we ain't getting any! It'll probably be more like The Odd Couple ." It
4214-558: The Unite for Strength faction), who first became President in September 2021, and was re-elected in September 2023. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland has also been the National Executive Director since 2021. John Travolta John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor, singer, and producer. He began acting in television before transitioning into a leading man in films. His accolades include
4312-421: The United States. In June 2023, the guild voted to authorize a strike if its negotiating committee failed to reach an agreement on a new contract with major Hollywood studios by June 30. On June 27, over 300 actors signed a letter threatening to go on strike. Signatories include Jennifer Lawrence , Meryl Streep , Rami Malek and Amy Schumer . The next day, signatories had reached 1,000 members. Key issues in
4410-419: The actress writes: "My whole life has been about changing negatives into positives." According to Drescher, her rapist, who was on parole at the time of the crime, was returned to prison and given two life sentences. After separating in 1996, Drescher and Jacobson divorced in 1999. They had no children. Drescher has worked to support LGBT rights issues after her former husband came out . Drescher has stated that
4508-472: The ad did not pass legal standards for issue-based advertisement." Meanwhile, other Spanish-language networks such as MegaTV and Estrella TV aired the ad nationwide. SAG-AFTRA continued to stand its ground, stating that "Telemundo's decision to censor 30 seconds of truthful commentary about its working conditions shows just how averse it is to having a transparent discussion about its refusal to fairly compensate Spanish-speaking performers." In March 2016,
4606-423: The aircraft was to be flown to Illawarra Regional Airport , where HARS is based, however was not allowed to fly it, because it was to be registered as an Australian aircraft. On November 24, 1992, Travolta was piloting his Gulfstream N728T at night above a solid undercast when he experienced a total electrical system failure while flying under instrument flight rules into Washington National Airport . During
4704-428: The award show's official ambassador. On September 13, 2010, during the first episode of the final season of her talk show , Oprah Winfrey announced that she would be taking her entire studio audience on an eight-day, all-expenses-paid trip to Australia, with Travolta serving as pilot for the trip. He had helped Winfrey plan the trip for more than a year. He is the author of the book Propeller One-Way Night Coach ,
4802-479: The collective female vote is louder and more powerful than that of the richest corporate lobbyists. She says her goal is to live in a time when women's mortality rates drop as their health care improves and early cancer detection increases. Her efforts as an outspoken healthcare advocate in Washington DC helped get unanimous passage for H.R. 1245 (also known as Johanna's Law ) and she is acknowledged in
4900-509: The company announced they would no longer honor a long-standing contract with SAG-AFTRA. SAG-AFTRA launched a successful strike action that drew thousands of members to picket lines and strike actions across the country. At the close of the strike, BBH agreed to return to SAG-AFTRA's contract. In 2018, BBH had withdrawn from their contract with SAG-AFTRA, which was first agreed on in 1999, over contractual terms that stated BBH would not be allowed to hire non-union actors. BBH stated it put them at
4998-664: The dance floor?" to John Travolta 's character. A year later, she began to gain attention in films such as American Hot Wax (1978) and Summer of Fear (1978). She also took on a rare dramatic role in the 1981 Miloš Forman film Ragtime . During the 1980s, Drescher found success as a character actress with roles in films such as Gorp (1980), The Hollywood Knights (1980), Doctor Detroit (1983), The Big Picture (1989), UHF (1989), Cadillac Man (1990), and memorably in This Is Spinal Tap (1984) as publicist Bobbi Flekman. She also made an appearance in
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#17327910912915096-510: The day in question and asserted that Travolta would "sue the attorney and Plaintiff for malicious prosecution" after getting the case thrown out. A second masseur later joined the lawsuit, making similar claims. Both lawsuits were subsequently dropped by the complainants and dismissed without prejudice . On September 27, 2012, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Malcolm Mackey dismissed a defamation lawsuit against Travolta and his attorney Marty Singer by writer Robert Randolph because he found that
5194-466: The decade and catapulted Travolta to international stardom. Saturday Night Fever earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor , making him, at age 24, one of the youngest performers ever nominated for the Best Actor Oscar . His mother and his sister Ann appeared very briefly in Saturday Night Fever and his sister Ellen played a waitress in Grease . Travolta performed on
5292-753: The disaster area. Travolta was in a relationship with actress Diana Hyland , whom he met while filming The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976). They remained together until Hyland's death from breast cancer on March 27, 1977. In 1980, Travolta dated French actress Catherine Deneuve . Travolta also had an on-again/off-again relationship with actress Marilu Henner , which ended permanently in 1985. In 1988 while filming The Experts , Travolta met actress Kelly Preston , whom he married in Paris in 1991. They had three children: Jett (1992–2009), Ella Bleu (born 2000), and Benjamin (born 2010). They regularly attended marriage counseling and Travolta has stated that therapy helped
5390-506: The disease. Drescher was declared cancer-free and no post-operative treatment was ordered. Drescher wrote about her experiences in her second book, Cancer Schmancer . Her purpose for this book was to raise consciousness for people "to become more aware of the early warning signs of cancer, and to empower themselves". Drescher says, "I was going to learn what I needed to learn, ask questions, become partners with my doctor instead of having some kind of parent/child relationship." On June 21, 2007,
5488-562: The election. On July 13, 2023, after SAG-AFTRA members overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike action a week prior, Drescher announced the SAG-AFTRA strike was to begin at midnight the following day, running alongside the concurrent Writers Guild of America strike ( WGA strike ) that began just over two months prior. The strike ended with a tentative deal between the union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers which
5586-610: The emergency landing, he almost had a mid-air collision with a USAir Boeing 727 , an event attributed to a risky decision by an air traffic controller. In 1984, Travolta was inducted into the American Academy of Achievement and presented with the Golden Plate Award by Awards Council member General Chuck Yeager , USAF. Travolta was inducted into the Living Legends of Aviation in 2007 and acts as
5684-431: The episode "Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades". In 1991, Drescher co-starred on the short-lived CBS sitcom Princesses . In the early-to-mid 1990s, she voiced "Peggy" from The P Pals on PBS (the woman with the flower on her hat). Drescher and Jacobson created their own television show, The Nanny , in 1993. The show aired on CBS from 1993 to 1999, and Drescher became an instant star. In this sitcom, she played
5782-556: The event was widely reported as such. Ayyadurai later said it was not "a formal wedding or marriage," but a celebration of their "friendship in a spiritual ceremony with close friends and her family." The couple separated two years later. In March 2024, Drescher's father died at the age of 94. After two years of symptoms and misdiagnoses by eight doctors, Drescher was admitted to Los Angeles's Cedars Sinai Hospital on June 21, 2000, after doctors diagnosed her with uterine cancer . She had to undergo an immediate radical hysterectomy to treat
5880-673: The first season of the anthology series American Crime Story , titled The People v. O. J. Simpson , in which he played lawyer Robert Shapiro . For his performance he received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie . Following the death of his wife Kelly Preston in July 2020, Travolta hinted on his Instagram account that he would be putting his career on hold, stating "I will be taking some time to be there for my children who have lost their mother, so forgive me in advance if you don't hear from us for
5978-466: The first time since 1960 that both SAG-AFTRA and the WGA would strike at the same time. The strike would last for almost four months, eventually coming to an end on November 9, 2023. The deal received 78.33% approval among voting SAG-AFTRA members when the voting concluded on December 5. Starting 12:01 am PDT (UTC-7) on July 26, 2024, SAG-AFTRA began a labor strike against video game developers signed to
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#17327910912916076-508: The first voice actors' strike in 17 years, as well as the first strike within the merged SAG-AFTRA organization. As of April 23, 2017, it became the longest strike within SAG, surpassing the 95-day 1980 Emmy Awards strike , and the 2000 commercials strike . An agreement was reached on September 23, 2017, ending the 340-day strike. On September 20, 2018, SAG-AFTRA called a strike against global advertising agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) after
6174-466: The guild. A representative of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers spoke about the compensation offered to actors to avoid a strike. The alliance, which negotiated with the union on behalf of Netflix , Walt Disney , and Warner Bros stated that SAG-AFTRA deliberately distorts the course of negotiations. The deal, which SAG-AFTRA refused on July 12, included more than $ 1 billion for an increase in salaries, pensions and health insurance,
6272-399: The key elements of the three-year deal were: The agreement was renewed in 2021, including an increase in overnight rest periods from 10 to 11 hours except for on-location work, additional language tackling sexual harassment and audition safety and an increase in the current health and pension plan contribution rate by 0.5 percent once the contract's ended. In May 2023, in a partnership with
6370-531: The marriage. They lived near Ocala, Florida . On January 2, 2009, Jett died at age sixteen while on a Christmas vacation in The Bahamas . A Bahamian death certificate was issued, attributing the cause of death to a seizure . Jett, who had a history of seizures, reportedly had had Kawasaki disease since the age of two. Travolta confirmed that Jett was autistic and had regular seizures, and immediately made his public statements while giving testimony at
6468-500: The minister's license she received from the Universal Life Church . Drescher hand-picked the three couples, all of whom were entrants into "Fran Drescher's 'Love Is Love' Gay Marriage Contest" on Facebook, based on the stories the couples submitted about how they met, why their relationship illustrated that "love is love" and why they wanted to be married by her. Drescher made her Broadway debut on February 4, 2014, in
6566-491: The negotiations include issuing residuals based on viewership data and finding a uniform metric on which to judge all streaming platform data. Further issues include limiting the use of self-tape auditions and preventing the use of artificial intelligence and computer generated voices and faces within the entertainment industry. On July 10, 2023, SAG-AFTRA laid out potential strike rules including: no shoots, no press, and no social media promos for any actors or actresses under
6664-744: The network released a statement claiming it is "committed to making Telemundo a great place to work for our employees and will continue to invest in them to ensure their salaries and working conditions are competitive with the rest of the broadcasting industry in accordance with market size and station revenues." A few days later on February 13, 2016, SAG-AFTRA came back and added that Telemundo had been treating its employees like "second-class professionals" given that many actors do not receive basic workplace guarantees that SAG-AFTRA contracts provide, such as fair pay, water breaks, health insurance and residuals. At that time, Telemundo president Luis Silberwasser responded by saying that SAG-AFTRA asked for recognition of
6762-530: The old plans to qualify for a pension. SAG-AFTRA is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, and in New York City, in addition to other local offices nationwide. The Screen Actors Guild Awards is an awards ceremony founded in 1995 to recognize outstanding performances in movie and prime time television. It has been one of the major awards events in the Hollywood film industry since then, along with
6860-491: The picket line. On July 20, 2019, SAG ended its 10-month strike against BBH after the advertising agency agreed to sign the union's new commercials contract. On February 7, 2021, SAG-AFTRA announced that President Donald Trump , who resigned from the union three days earlier, was barred from rejoining for his perceived attacks on SAG-AFTRA journalists and support of the January 6 United States Capitol attack as president of
6958-433: The primary reason for the divorce was her need to change directions in life. Drescher and Jacobson remain friends and business partners. She has stated that "we choose to be in each other's lives in any capacity. Our love is unique, rare, and unconditional, unless he's being annoying." On September 7, 2014, Drescher and Shiva Ayyadurai participated in a ceremony at Drescher's beach house. Both tweeted that they had married and
7056-423: The public at 12 p.m. PST in a press conference at SAG-AFTRA plaza in Los Angeles. During the press conference, SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher and national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland confirmed that members had voted to strike and that the strike would begin July 14. This marked the first strike that involved actors in the film and television industry since 1980 , and also
7154-530: The revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein 's Cinderella . She replaced Harriet Harris as stepmother Madame for a 10-week engagement. She reprised the role during the North American tour's engagement in Los Angeles , lasting from March through April 2015. Drescher's previous stage performances include an off-Broadway production of Nora Ephron 's Love, Loss, and What I Wore , and Camelot at
7252-434: The series The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story . He received a Primetime Emmy Award as a producer as well as nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie . He was also Emmy-nominated for his role in the action-comedy series Die Hart (2021). Outside of acting, Travolta has released nine albums, including four singles that have charted on
7350-563: The seventh anniversary of her operation, Drescher launched the Cancer Schmancer Movement, a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all women's cancers be diagnosed while in Stage 1, the most curable stage. She celebrated her tenth year of wellness on June 21, 2010. Drescher says: We need to take control of our bodies, become greater partners with our physicians and galvanize as one to let our legislators know that
7448-480: The story of a young boy's first flight. His estate in Ocala, Florida , is situated at Jumbolair Airport with its own runway and taxiway right to his house, with two outbuildings for covered access to planes. After the 2010 Haiti earthquake , joining other celebrities in helping with the relief efforts, Travolta reportedly flew his Boeing 707 full of supplies, doctors, and Scientologist Volunteer Ministers into
7546-545: The time of her death, was receiving treatment at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. In May 2012, an anonymous male masseur filed a lawsuit against Travolta, citing claims of sexual assault and battery. A lawyer for Travolta said that the allegations were "complete fiction and fabrication". Travolta's counsel also stated that his client would be able to prove that he was not in California on
7644-494: The title role, as she joked that if she did "We'd have to change the title to The Granny ." In 2021, Drescher began her campaign to become president of the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists ( SAG-AFTRA ) union, citing both her entertainment and political background ( see below ) . Her candidacy came from the "Unite for Strength" faction, and she ran against actor Matthew Modine . On September 2, 2021, SAG-AFTRA announced that Drescher had won
7742-450: The trial of two defendants (a paramedic and a former Bahamas senator) who Travolta alleged tried to blackmail him with a multimillion-dollar extortion plot involving private information in connection with the death of his son Jett. After a mistrial, Travolta dropped the charges and has credited his immediate family and Scientology with helping him to cope with Jett's death and move forward with his career. In memory of Jett, Travolta created
7840-537: The union as the bargaining agent for employees — rather than seeking a vote by employees. However, SAG-AFTRA claimed that intimidation tactics had been taking place within the network to keep employees from unionizing and that they believe "there is no such thing as a 'fair vote' when workers are afraid for their careers and livelihoods, and live with the fear of retaliation if they are seen as actively wanting to unionize. SAG-AFTRA wants to ensure full protection for workplace democracy and performers' rights to choose through
7938-614: The use of that word by Pan Am as the company's call sign as well as in the names of their aircraft. In 2017, Travolta donated the Boeing 707 to the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) near Wollongong , Australia. This was expected to be flown to Australia in November 2019, but was later delayed to sometime in 2020 due to condition of the aircraft. Travolta planned to be on board when
8036-595: Was a first runner-up for "Miss New York Teenager" in 1973. She attended Flushing's Parsons Junior High School, which later dissolved, and then Hillcrest High School in Jamaica, Queens . There she met her future husband, Peter Marc Jacobson , whom she married in 1978, at age 21. They divorced in 1999. Drescher graduated from Hillcrest High School in 1975; one of her classmates was comedian Ray Romano . Drescher's character Fran Fine from The Nanny and Romano's character Ray Barone from Everybody Loves Raymond met at
8134-524: Was a second-generation Italian American with roots in Godrano , Sicily , and his mother was Irish American . He grew up in an Irish-American neighborhood and said that his household was predominantly Irish in culture. He was raised Catholic , but later converted to Scientology in 1975 at age 21. He converted after being given the book Dianetics from former actress Joan Prather . Travolta attended Dwight Morrow High School , but dropped out as
8232-567: Was a semiprofessional American football player turned tire salesman and partner in a tire company, Travolta Tire Exchange. His mother, Helen Cecilia ( née Burke), was an actress and singer who had appeared in The Sunshine Sisters, a radio vocal group, and acted and directed before becoming a high school drama and English teacher. His siblings Joey , Ellen , Ann, Margaret , and Sam Travolta were all inspired by their mother's love of theater and drama and became actors. His father
8330-584: Was approved by the SAG-AFTRA board. On July 25, 2024, ten months after SAG-AFTRA members voted overwhemingly to authorize another strike against the video game industry, Drescher stated that SAG-AFTRA would begin a strike against major video game publishers, with the strike then going into effect the following day at 12:01 am. Fran Drescher met Peter Marc Jacobson when she was 15. The two were high school sweethearts and married at 21. In January 1985, two armed robbers broke into Drescher and Jacobson's Los Angeles apartment. While one ransacked their home, Drescher and
8428-453: Was as Billy Nolan , a bully who was goaded into playing a prank on Sissy Spacek 's character in the horror film Carrie (1976) directed by Brian de Palma . Around that time, he landed his star-making role as Vinnie Barbarino in the ABC TV sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter (1975–1979), in which his sister, Ellen , also occasionally appeared (as Arnold Horshack 's mother). Travolta had
8526-561: Was born on September 30, 1957, in Queens , a borough of New York City , the younger daughter of Sylvia Drescher (born 1934), a bridal consultant, and Morty Drescher (1929-2024), a naval systems analyst. Her family is Jewish , from Southeast and Central Europe. Her maternal great-grandmother Yetta was born in Focșani , Romania , and emigrated to the United States, while her father's family came from Poland . She has an older sister Nadine. Drescher
8624-481: Was cancelled on May 17, 2006, after two seasons. In 2006, Drescher guest-starred in an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent ; the episode, "The War at Home", aired on US television on November 14, 2006. She also appeared in an episode of Entourage and, in the same year, gave her voice to the role of a female golem in The Simpsons episode " Treehouse of Horror XVII ". In 2007, Drescher appeared in
8722-537: Was critically lauded but a box office disappointment, likely due to its bleak ending. After Blow Out came a series of commercial and critical failures which sidelined Travolta's acting career. These included Two of a Kind (1983), a romantic comedy reuniting him with Olivia Newton-John , and Perfect (1985), co-starring Jamie Lee Curtis . He also starred in Staying Alive , the 1983 sequel to Saturday Night Fever , for which he trained rigorously to portray
8820-573: Was designed for a three-year period and included the protection of actors from the use of their images by artificial intelligence . On July 13, SAG-AFTRA announced that its television, theatrical, and streaming contract with the alliance had expired without an agreement to replace it. They announced that the SAG-AFTRA negotiating committee had voted unanimously to strike. SAG-AFTRA also announced that their National Board would meet later that morning to decide on whether or not SAG-AFTRA would go on strike. SAG-AFTRA said they would make their decision known to
8918-746: Was explicitly anti-capitalist and was happy to see the Green Party gaining some traction. In 2018, Drescher attended a fundraiser gala for Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces (FIDF), which raised $ 60 million. Drescher received the COVID-19 vaccine but opposes vaccine mandates . In April 2014, Drescher presented at Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Easter Bonnet Competition with Bryan Cranston , Idina Menzel and Denzel Washington , after raising donations at her Broadway show Cinderella . Drescher became an ordained minister with
9016-485: Was formed on March 30, 2012, following the merger of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists . In January 2013, Variety reported that the merger had proceeded with "few bumps", amid shows of good will on both sides. The stickiest remaining problem was reported to be the merger of the two pension funds , in part as a way of dealing with the issue of performers who paid into each plan but did not quite earn enough under either of
9114-673: Was in late September and included stops in Romania, Hungary, Serbia, and Poland. In 2008, Drescher supported Senator Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Party presidential nomination. She attended a Super Democrat rally for Clinton. Drescher said that she had been considering a run for the United States Senate in 2008 to succeed Hillary Clinton , but ultimately decided against it. She endorsed Barack Obama for re-election in 2012. In 2017, she said in an interview she
9212-462: Was never produced. In 2010, Drescher returned to television with her own daytime talk show, The Fran Drescher Tawk Show . While the program debuted to strong ratings, it ended its three-week test run to moderate success, resulting in its shelving. The following year, the sitcom Happily Divorced , created by Drescher and her ex-husband, Peter Marc Jacobson, was picked up by TV Land for a ten-episode order. It premiered there June 15, 2011. The show
9310-476: Was nominated for two Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress in a Comedy Television Series during the show's run. In the 2000s, Drescher starred in the sitcoms Living with Fran and Happily Divorced . From 2012 to 2022, she starred in the animated Hotel Transylvania film series . In 2014, Drescher made her Broadway debut in Cinderella as stepmother Madame. In 2020, she starred in
9408-533: Was not until he played against type as Vincent Vega in Quentin Tarantino 's hit Pulp Fiction (1994), with Samuel L. Jackson , for which he received an Academy Award nomination, that his career was revived. It was Travolta's third film alongside Bruce Willis . The movie shifted him back onto the A-list and he was inundated with many diverse offers. Notable roles following Pulp Fiction include
9506-717: Was presented to her by Senator Hillary Clinton. On April 10, 2010, she was guest of honor at the "Dancer against Cancer" charity ball held at the Imperial Palace , Vienna, Austria , where she received the first "My Aid Award" for her achievements in support of cancer prevention and rehabilitation. In 2021, Drescher was awarded the LifeSaver Award by ELEM/Youth in Distress. SAG-AFTRA The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists ( SAG-AFTRA , / s æ ɡ ˈ æ f t r ə / )
9604-478: Was renewed in July 2011 for a second season of 12 episodes, which aired in spring 2012. On May 1, 2012, TV Land extended the second season and picked up 12 additional episodes, taking the second season total to 24. The back-order of season two debuted later in 2012. Happily Divorced was cancelled in August 2013. To promote Happily Divorced , Drescher performed the weddings of three gay couples in New York City using
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