Barbie Is on the Picket Line

[Omaha Steve]

Margot Robbie at the European premiere of Barbie at the Cineworld Leicester Square in London on July 12, 2023. (Wiktor Szymanowicz / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Don’t be surprised that Margot Robbie backs the SAG-AFTRA strike—she has deep roots in Australia’s labor movement.

John Nichols

The decision by actors to join writers in striking against the motion picture industry has created a “Which Side Are You On?” moment for many of the world’s most prominent film stars. And the woman who may turn out to be the biggest star of the season has a one-word answer to the question.

Australian actress Margot Robbie—who plays the title role in Barbie, the summer blockbuster that opens in the United States this weekend—was asked last week at the film’s London premiere if she would be supporting a strike by Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) members, who were proposing to withhold their labor until major motion picture studios agree to provide a fair share of streaming revenues, better pay, and a plan for responding to the AI revolution that will respect the work of human performers.

“Absolutely!” replied Robbie.

“I very much am in support of all the unions, and I’m a part of SAG, so I would absolutely stand by them,” explained the 33-year-old performer, who has earned nominations for Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and other honors, and whom Time magazine once highlighted as one of “the 100 most influential people in the world.”

FULL story at link: https://www.thenation.com/article/society/margot-robbie-sag-aftra-strike-barbie/