I am a small SAG-AFTRA actor, if my union doesn’t protect Uma Thurman how can I expect them to protect me? Exarc Follow Feb 6, 2018 · 2 min read

I just saw the video Uma Thurman posted from the set of Kill Bill and it left me stunned.

This was a horrific event that nobody, regardless of union affiliation or anything, should be forced into. It was dangerous and it could have been deadly.

At the same time it terrifies me for myself, my friends, and my family of performers. I am a small SAG-AFTRA actor who joined this union several years ago in order to ensure safe sets, and fair pay.

But what we see here is a blatant lack of protection. I wonder how SAG was unaware of this event, after all her insurance would have been through SAG and should have been flagged for something that looks like an accident. Was there no representative on set? No one to say anything to the union?

This is probably just a rant, but did they really not know about this, showing their incompetence? Or did they know and chose not to do anything, showing their weakness to actually stand up for their members? Isn’t it the point of our union to stand up for us against the producers and directors when it comes down to a he said she said?

At the end of the day 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other media professionals are all members of this union. How many of us will they stand up for?

Right now I feel scared that it is none…