Why everyone is back talking about "The Nanny"

Hollywood is on strike. And at the forefront of the protest is a familiar and popular face: Fran Fine. Or rather Fran Drescher, the actress who gave a face to The Nanny series with the most fabulous wardrobe in the history of TV. After the fame she gained with the sitcom in the 1990s, the star continued acting by taking part in less successful projects, but it's not because of a new TV series or film that she's back in the conversation these days. The reason is her role as president of SAG-AFTRA, the double acronym standing for Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the two largest unions of film and television actors, whose more than 160,000 members have joined the screenwriters' protest movement that has crippled the American film system since 2 May. After four weeks of negotiations, the SAG-AFTRA has decided to fold its arms from midnight on 14 July and continue the biggest strike in the American film industry, the first in the category since 1960, until it succeeds in reaching a fair contract with the American Producers Association, which represents some 300 studios and streaming providers such as Netflix, Amazon and Apple.

Fran Drescher's speech

It was Fran herself who announced this in a speech that immediately went viral and in which she took a strong leadership position: "What happens here is important because what’s happening to us is happening across all fields of labor, when employers make Wall Street and greed their priority and they forget about the essential contributors that make the machine run." She added, "We are the victims here. We are being victimised by a very greedy entity. I am shocked by the way the people that we have been in business with are treating us .... They stand on the wrong side of history." At the end, she invited her union colleagues to take a picture with her with a clenched fist raised in solidarity.

Scriptwriters' strike reasons and consequences

Fran gave voice to thousands of actors and actresses, including stars like Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lawrence, who have written a letter in recent weeks urging the union not to compromise in negotiations over the new labour contract. They continue to demand stronger protection of their copyright and image rights in relation to streaming and express concern about the use of artificial intelligence. To press their demands, the actors are prepared to demonstrate in front of the major studios and fold their arms to the bitter end by paralysing all productions. The strike includes the suspension of film and TV sets, promotions around the world, interviews and even appearances at festivals or conventions.