WGA West Donates $590,000 To The Actors Fund As Assistance Requests Soar

Click here to read the full article.

Requests for assistance from the Actors Fund have soared during the industry’s coronavirus shutdown, and the WGA West has answered the call.

“While the Actors Fund typically processes an average of 60 grants per week, in the last two weeks it has scaled up and is providing 150 grants per day,” leaders of the WGA West told their members today in an urgent call for contributions to the Fund. To help fill the need, the guild contributed $590,000 to the Fund last week from levies it collects from foreign countries to compensate rights holders for the copying, rental and retransmission of their films and television programs.

More from Deadline

• WGA Confirms Postponement Of Film & TV Contract Talks And Possible Extension Of Current Pact During Coronavirus Pandemic

• Alan Merrill Dies Of Coronavirus: 'I Love Rock 'N' Roll' Songwriter Was 69

• President Donald Trump Says Social Distancing Guidelines Will Be Extended To April 30; Attacks Reporters At Lengthy Press Conference

Guild president David A. Goodman, vice president Marjorie David and secretary-treasurer Michele Mulroney said in their joint statement: “The COVID-19 crisis has created unprecedented demand for all forms of assistance from the Actors Fund. As productions have stopped and offices emptied, many in our industry find themselves suddenly without income, unable to pay utility bills or other essential expenses.

“For 130 years,” they said, “the Actors Fund has been a stalwart of the arts and entertainment community, providing financial assistance and social services to creative professionals in need. Writers have been among the many who have benefitted from their programs…The need is urgent. Your donation will support the important emergency assistance fund and other important services. So if you are able, please donate to the Actors Fund today. If you are currently in need of help paying for basic living expenses, you may be eligible for assistance through The Actors Fund Emergency Assistance Fund.”

The guild, they noted, has contributed more than $5.9 million in foreign levies monies to the Actors Fund during the past 12 years. Since the foreign levies program’s inception in 1992, the guild has distributed nearly $250 million to writers.

Best of Deadline

• Coronavirus: U.S. Death Toll Tops 1,200; Global Cases Surpass 585,000 - Update

• Coronavirus: Movies That Have Halted Or Delayed Production Amid Outbreak

• Hong Kong Filmart Postponed Due To Coronavirus Fears; Event Moves Two Weeks Before Toronto

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.