Let’s Make a Deal: Studios, AFTRA Shake on It
One down, a whopper to go.
The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists has OK’d a tentative deal with Hollywood studios on a new three-year contract, a first step in avoiding an industrywide actors’ strike this summer.
The union said this morning that the deal focuses on new media paychecks, establishing fees for content streamed and downloaded over the Internet and covering the use of actors’ voices and images in online clips.
The AFTRA deal only covers a few TV showsincluding Curb Your Enthusiasm, Rules of Engagement, Flight of the Conchords and Reaper, as well as the new sitcoms Project Gary, Harper’s Island and Roman’s Empireand must still be ratified by the union’s members.
“This is another groundbreaking agreement for AFTRA,” the union’s national president Roberta Reardon said in a statement. “In addition to achieving meaningful gains in compensation and working conditions for performers, it also establishes AFTRA jurisdiction in the dynamic area of new media and it preserves performers’ consent for use of excerpts of traditional TV shows in new media.
“This is a challenging time in the entertainment industry and this was a tough negotiation.”
Speaking of tough negotiations, the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers now must make peace with the more belligerent and more powerful Screen Actors Guild, whose members work in most prime-time TV shows and films.
SAG’s contract expires June 30.
In a statement, SAG National President Alan Rosenberg said that although the union had heard about AFTRA’s new pact, “We do not know the details of the agreement.”
“We look forward to receiving an update from AFTRA staff regarding the negotiations as soon as possible,” said Rosenberg. “We look forward to hearing more during a face-to-face briefing with AFTRA’s negotiating committee as soon as AFTRA provides the opportunity.”
Rosenberg said the guild, as promised, will be back at the table with producers at 10 a.m.
Lauren Graham Biography
Lauren Helen Graham (born March 16, 1967) is an American actress. She is best known for her acting role in Gilmore Girls.
Lauren was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. When she was five, her parents divorced. Her mother, Donna Grant, moved to London to join a rock and roll band. Lauren and her father, Lawrence, moved to the D.C. area where he became a congressional staffer and single parent. She traveled extensively with her father while growing up. He is currently a lobbyist for the chocolate and confection industry.
Lauren discovered acting while in elementary school. Graham attended Langley High School, where she took part in the Drill Team which is a mix of Dance and Cheerleading. She began acting in community theatre and any other production she could find. She graduated from Barnard College/Columbia University in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Lauren then moved to Texas where she earned a Master’s Degree in Acting from Southern Methodist University in 1992.
After completing her education, Lauren returned to New York where she worked as a cocktail waitress and aspiring actress. In 1995, she moved to Hollywood. In addition to her many guest starring and co-starring roles on prime time TV, she had three starring roles on failed sitcoms before landing the lead role of Lorelai Gilmore on the WB’s Gilmore Girls (2000-present), for which she is best known. In addition, she has had many roles in theatrical movies, including several NYU student films and several major studio releases. She has appeared in the movies Bad Santa, The Pacifier and Sweet November. She appeared on Third Rock from the Sun as a grad student who caught the eye of Dick (John Lithgow). In addition, she has appeared on the hit comedy Seinfeld (as one of Jerry’s dates), as well as on Newsradio and Law & Order. She would like to return to the stage and hopes she will never have to do a Porky’s movie or be asked to have plastic surgery.
She is currently set to appear in the movie Evan Almighty, playing the role of Evan’s wife.
Lauren Graham is not married and lives in West Hollywood. She dated actor Tate Donovan. As of February 2006, she is dating actor Marc Blucas.
When Graham appeared on Law & Order in 1997, actor Scott Cohen also guest starred. Three years later when Graham started Gilmore Girls, Cohen became a regular on the show as Lorelai Gilmore’s boyfriend and then fiancé, Max Medina.
She dated Robert Maschio during his senior year at Columbia University and helped persuade him to try out acting as a career.