SAG-AFTRA

Hosted by SAG-AFTRA

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100

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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About the show

Hosted by National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland.

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60 recent

October 15, 202636 min

Behind the Scene Study: Essential Tips From Acting Teacher Jill Stern

Every actor sits with a script and has to figure out: What's actually happening in this scene? Where does it start emotionally, where does it end, and what's important in between? That work is called scene study, and it's one of the most fundamental skills an actor builds. New York Local member Jill Stern has taught scene study at the SAG-AFTRA New York Conservatory since 2013, and shares how to get the most out of a first read, how to make bold choices and when it's OK to improvise. Jill also shares tips for self-tapes and advice on creating your own projects during slow periods. *The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organization or SAG-AFTRA.

October 1, 202636 min

What It Really Takes to Be a Broadcast Journalist Today

Broadcast journalists chase breaking news, work unpredictable hours and sometimes put themselves in harm's way to tell stories the public needs to know. But the job is changing. Tracee Wilkins is an investigative reporter with NBC4 Washington and president of SAG-AFTRA's Washington-Mid Atlantic Local. She takes us inside the newsroom to talk about why reporters are being asked to do more with less, what it takes to produce for TV, digital and social all at once, and growing concerns about safety and First Amendment rights. *The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organization or SAG-AFTRA

September 17, 202637 min

A Voice Actors' Guide to Voiceover Work

Voiceover work covers a lot of ground: audiobooks, animation, commercials, video games, ADR/looping, dubbing. But how different are they really, and what does it take to break in? David Jolliffe has voiced well over 1,000 TV episodes and serves as SAG-AFTRA's L.A. Local Second Vice President. Nancy Linari is a voiceover performer and audiobook narrator best known as the voice of Aunt May in Marvel's Spider-Man. They walk through the distinct skill set each lane demands. They also get into how home studios changed the game post-COVID, why relationships and networking matter and how the union contracts protecting this work came together. *The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organization or SAG-AFTRA.

September 3, 202653 min

Labor Day 2026: Where the Union Movement Stands Now

This Labor Day, we step back and ask a bigger question: what's the state of the unions in America right now? Not just SAG-AFTRA, but the whole movement. Where we've made real gains, where we're facing challenges and what it actually means to be a union member in 2026. To tackle these topics, we're joined by two prominent labor leaders who are at the center of that fight. Sean Astin is President of SAG-AFTRA and was recently elected a Vice President of the AFL-CIO. Liz Shuler is President of the AFL-CIO, representing nearly 15 million working people. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organization or SAG-AFTRA.

August 20, 202619 min

Want More Union Commercial Work? Start Local.

Not every commercial is a big-budget ad for a national brand. Local restaurants, car dealerships, state lotteries, to name a few, all need commercials too. But the terms of our national commercial contract don't always make sense for these regional advertisers. That's where Regional Commercial Codes come in. These agreements create opportunities for working actors in small to mid-size markets across the country by making it easier for local businesses to hire union talent. SAG-AFTRA Vice President, Mid-Size Locals, Nikki Izanec joins the show to walk us through what Regional Commercial Codes are, how they work and why they matter. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organization or SAG-AFTRA.

August 6, 202626 min

A Conversation With Finneas

Finneas O'Connell is a two-time Academy Award winner, an 11-time Grammy winner, and the creative force behind some of the biggest music of the last decade. He's also a lifelong SAG-AFTRA member who grew up watching his family navigate the industry. In this episode, Finneas talks about his path from child actor to multi-hyphenate creative, the craft behind his music, and why union membership has meant something to him his whole life. *The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organization or SAG-AFTRA.

July 23, 202627 min

Digging Into the Details of the TV/Theatrical Agreement

Earlier this year, SAG-AFTRA ratified a new TV/Theatrical Agreement, and a previous episode covered the big wins: the pension merger, AI protections, scale increases, and more. But it's a 148-page contract, and some of the most meaningful gains for working performers may have flown under the radar. This episode goes deeper into the provisions that really add up on set and in members' paychecks. Deputy Chief Contracts Officer Jessica Johnson joins the show to discuss recurring performer escalators, series regular protections, meal penalties, per diems, and even a new pay provision for corsets. *The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organization or SAG-AFTRA.

July 9, 202623 min

A Conversation with 'Working Actor' Harrison Ford

SAG-AFTRA member Harrison Ford has spent nearly seven decades as one of Hollywood's most beloved actors, but he'd still rather be called a working actor than an icon. This year, Ford was honored with the union's 61st Life Achievement Award at the 32nd Annual Actor Awards presented by SAG-AFTRA on March 1. In this episode, we listen back to an Actor to Actor conversation with Ford and SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin. The two talk about Ford's early studio contract years at Columbia and Universal, his quiet standoff with Ridley Scott while shooting Blade Runner, and what's kept him showing up for the work all these years later. * The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organization or SAG-AFTRA.

June 25, 202637 min

What Actors Should Know About Performance Capture

Performance capture has evolved from an experimental filmmaking technique to a fundamental part of modern entertainment. But despite how common it's become, there's still a lot of misunderstanding about what performance capture actually is and what it means for actors who work in this space. To break it all down, we're joined by Woody Schultz, a SAG-AFTRA National Board Member and Vice Chair of the National AI and Technology Committee. Schultz has been at the forefront of performance capture since its early days, working on groundbreaking films like The Polar Express, Avatar and Monster House. He talks about how the technology works, why "motion capture" misses the point, the long fight to win union protections and what new AI technologies could mean for the future. *The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organization or SAG-AFTRA.

June 9, 202641 min

Why the NO FAKES Act Matters Right Now

The NO FAKES Act heads to a Senate Judiciary Committee markup and vote on June 11, 2026. This is a moment three years in the making and the closest this bill has come to becoming law. Right now, anyone's face or voice can be cloned and dropped into a video they never agreed to, and most people have far fewer legal rights to stop it than they think. The NO FAKES Act would change that. To break down what the bill actually does, we're joined by SAG-AFTRA LA Local President and the SAG-AFTRA Government Affairs & Public Policy Committee (GAPP) Co-Chair Joely Fisher; actor-producer and GAPP Committee Co-chair Jason George and SAG-AFTRA Chief Legal Officer Jeffrey Bennett. They explain the new federal right NO FAKES would create in your voice and likeness, the fast "take down and stay down" process that would force platforms to remove unauthorized replicas and the built-in First Amendment protections. They also discuss the unusually broad coalition behind the bill and how you can support this at sagaftra.org/nofakes . *The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organization or SAG-AFTRA.