From the White House to Hollywood, check out the latest news, trends and upcoming events. No images? Click here Party at the Picket Lines By Emily Vogel (Giphy) From sunburned writers to boxes of pizza delivered by Pete Davidson, the WGA picket line has become the hottest new celebrity-approved day club… except you don’t need to wear stilettos, a tight dress or be 21 to get in. Sneakers are recommended and children are encouraged to turn up and picket with their parents. Ahead of Mother’s Day, TheWrap brought together a group of women from the WGA Moms Facebook Group - including the writers of "Bridgerton," "The Handmaid's Tale," "Dead to Me," "Grey's Anatomy" and more - for a roundtable to talk about their experiences and why they’re striking. Scroll down to read more! Also, be sure to tune in TODAY (5/18) @ 3pm PT for the "WGA Roundtable: Showrunners Explain the Thin Line Between Writing and Producing" with Gloria Calderón Kellett ("With Love"), Ali Schouten-Seeks ("iCarly") and Ilana Peña ("Diary of a Future President"). Click here to view. WGA Strike Roundtable: ‘I Can’t Support My Family for the Rest of the Year’ – Writer Moms Talk Why They Strike For many members of the Writers Guild of America, this strike is a family affair, and seven writers who are members of the group “WGA Moms” opened up to TheWrap in an exclusive panel to discuss the unique challenges of raising kids while on the picket lines. While writers have a variety of demands they are pushing for in the strike, one of the most prominent is a call to reverse the decline in income as more and more writers are getting paid at contract minimum rates. “Grey’s Anatomy” producer Zoanne Clack says that for parents like her, that has an impact on what jobs they take, as they are more likely to turn down a show, even one that creatively inspires them, if it doesn’t have enough episodes to provide decent pay to support their kids. “I don’t have really the option to say, ‘I want this wonderful television [job] that’s out there with the streamers,’ because even if I do get on a show, what if it’s six episodes and then I can’t support my family for the rest of the year?” she said. Other panelists included Yahlin Chang (“The Handmaid’s Tale”), Sarah Fahey (“Hit the Floor”), Tia Napolitano (“Fire Country”), Jess Pineda (“Run the World”) and Kristen SaBerre (“4400”). Click here to view the full panel. Click here to check-out TheWrap's extensive coverage of the strike. ‘Abbott Elementary’ Star Lisa Ann Walter Says the Sexual Assault of Her Sister Shaped Her Identity: ‘Nothing Was Done’ During a recent interview on WrapWomen‘s “UnWrapped” podcast, the “Abbott Elementary” star opened-up about a defining moment in her childhood that made her the person she is today. “My sister and both my neighbors were molested by the pedophile that lived two houses down from me,” the actress revealed to co-hosts Emily Vogel and Andi Ortiz. “I was the one who made everybody tell, but it felt so powerless because nobody did anything about it. The dads didn’t do anything.” According to the “Abbott Elementary” star, by this point her parents were already divorced and her dad wasn’t living at home. Walter took it upon herself – “little baby feminist Lisa” – to make her sister and the neighbors report the sexual assault incident. The response of the adults was shocking. “They did nothing about it. Nothing happened. Parents were still letting their little kids go to this guy’s house,” said Walter. “So, I grew up feeling like I better be powerful, and I better tell the truth, and be I guess loud and be funny, because that felt stronger to me.” You can listen to the full interview on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. Ruwa Romman, Georgia Lawmaker, is the First Muslim Woman and Palestinian American in the Statehouse(Teen Vogue) State Representative Ruwa Romman was still buzzing from the Taylor Swift concert she attended the evening before speaking with Teen Vogue. The Georgia Democrat apologized for her excited energy, saying that as a “die-hard Swiftie.” Teen Vogue talks to Romman about growing up in Georgia and her hopes for the future of the state. What are your priorities as a lawmaker? RR: This year in particular, as a freshman in the minority party, my biggest priority, honestly, was to learn and to stop really bad bills as much as possible, and then help make bills better. As a policy expert [who graduated from Georgetown University with a masters in public policy in 2019 and worked as a field organizer for the Georgia Muslim Voter Project], I have a unique ability to read a piece of legislation and think, Okay, this sounds good on paper, but what does implementation actually look like? What is going to be required for us to do this effectively and well and efficiently? So I quickly earned the reputation of the “unintended-consequences queen,” because 9 times out of 10, if I was speaking out about a bill, it was usually about the unintended consequences of that bill. What are your hopes for Georgia’s future? RR: Right now, there's a slogan that Georgia is the number one place to do business. I want Georgia to become the number one place to live. I appreciate and understand the importance of economic development and bringing opportunities for people, but that cannot come at the expense of Georgians. ‘White Lotus’ Star Sabrina Impacciatore on Being a Gay Icon and Why Her Audition Left Mike White in Tears
Before Sabrina Impacciatore stole America’s heart in “The White Lotus” season 2, she was an already well-known comedy actress and gay icon in Italy. “Since I was 18, they decided that I was a queer icon,” Impacciatore shared during WrapWomen’s “UnWrapped” Podcast. Impacciatore revealed that even before reading the script, as soon as she found out Valentina was queer, the actress felt a “responsibility” as a storyteller. “The LGBTQ community in Italy, is struggling so much… this government is even more strict and has a vision that is very squared,” said Impacciatore. “They really have to struggle and to fight in order to feel respected and to get the rights, the same rights.” Because of this, Impacciatore vowed to make sure that Valentina would “be understood by everybody,” even those outside the queer community. During her live audition she performed a scene with Isabella (Eleonora Romandini), which Impacciatore poured extra emotion into. “I will never forget that Mike had tears,” she said. “He told me, ‘Oh, Sabrina, I didn’t expect Valentina to be so sweet. And, and he said, I would like to, to explore this direction with you.’” You can listen to the full interview on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. LA Dancers Become Only Union-Represented Strippers In The U.S. (HuffPost.com) The WGA isn't the only union people are talking about these days... Dancers at a Los Angeles strip club have successfully gained union recognition after more than a year of tense negotiations with management, making them the country’s only strippers in an official bargaining collective. The strippers are now part of Actors’ Equity Association, which comprises over 51,000 actors and stage managers. Negotiations for their first contract will begin shortly, according to a lawyer for management at Star Garden. “If you have been following our journey, then you know this has been a long, exhausting fight, which is why this victory is so sweet,” Reagan, one of Star Garden’s dancers, told the Los Angeles Times of the 15-month battle with management that included a strike. “We put everything we have into this campaign, and we were fortunate to have the support and solidarity from the club’s patrons, our allies and friends, the labor movement, and our union, Actors’ Equity Association,” Reagan added. Finding Funding Packaging for Scripted Feature Films (May 19 @ 2pm PT) Join Film Fatales on Friday May 19th 2pm PT / 5pm ET for an online discussion about Packaging Scripted Feature Films with Apoorva Guru Charan (Producer, "Joyland"), Mollye Asher (Producer, "Nomadland") and Tiffany Boyle (President, Ramo Law). Moderated by Film Fatales Member Ruth Du (Director, "Samson"). Funding a feature film can be the hurdle that stops creators in their tracks. Film Fatales is bringing together a panel of experts to help demystify the process of packaging and raising money for your scripted feature. They will discuss all the different ways a film can secure funding which will put you on the path to getting your film made. WrapWomen 50% Promo Code: WWguest Did We Just Become Best Friends? WrapWomen is a power base of influential women of entertainment, media, technology and brands committed to changing the face of their industries. Stay up-to-date on all things WrapWomen at www.wrapwomen.com. Join the conversation on social media! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter for surprise guest takeovers and Insta live performances. Tune into our podcast "UnWrapped" on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. |