SAG-AFTRA members go on strike, actors join writers in Hollywood shutdown

Hollywood is officially closed...the union representing actors is now on strike, which means actors will join writers on the picket lines for the first time in over half a century.

The SAG-AFTRA National Board of Directors met Thursday morning and voted unanimously to strike after his contract expired on Wednesday evening, following a 2-week extension at the end of June to continue negotiations with the studios.

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Both sides in the battle agreed on Tuesday for a federal mediator to join bargaining talks in a last-ditch effort, but that failed to put the union and the studios on the same footing wavelength.

You will recall that around 98% of union members voted to strike last month if a deal was not reached...and that vote came weeks after the Writers Guild stopped working.

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SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher called the studios' responses to their demands "insulting and disrespectful" after the contract expired... adding, "As long as they negotiate in good faith , we can't begin to reach an agreement."< /p>

There are some pretty strict rules that come with this strike...as of midnight tonight, actors can't work on film and TV projects around the world -- ac...