Mark Ruffalo, Melissa Barrera, Ramy Youssef, and hundreds of other members have urged SAG-AFTRA in an open letter toprevent pro-Palestine actors from being blacklisted in Hollywood. The ongoing war in Gaza has led to some celebrities going public with their support for Palestine, which has led to certain actors getting blacklisted by major studios. Outspoken about her support for Palestine,oustedScreamstarBarrera makes her voice heard in the letter sent by prominent union members to SAG-AFTRA.
ViaThe Hollywood Reporter, hundreds of union actors headlined by Mark Ruffalo, Melissa Barrera, Ramy Youssef, among 700 others, signed a letter fromSAG-AFTRA and Sister Guild Members for Ceasefiresent to the guild. Specifically, they request SAG-AFTRA presidentFran Drescherand guild leaders to protect pro-Palestine members from being blacklisted and to call for a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza. The statement also directly describes the"human rights atrocities"occurring inGaza against Palestinians,referencing the tens of thousands of people killed and millions more displaced.
“Many SAG-AFTRA and sister guild members have watched in horror as the Israeli government wages a war of collective punishment on the civilian population of Gaza — killing over 40,000 Palestinians, injuring over 90,000 more, forcibly displacing 2 million people, and openly targeting members of the press and their families.
As the IDF continues its assault on ‘safe zones,’ schools, and hospitals, and as civilians in Gaza die from starvation, dehydration, and lack of medical supplies and fuel, major human rights groups have labeled these acts as war crimes, human rights atrocities, and even genocide. The UN has described Gaza as a ‘graveyard for children.'”
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Melissa Barrera wasfired from the nextScreamsequeldue to social media posts that showed support for Palestinians. The sequel, now going in an entirely different creative direction, is in therearview mirror for Barrera, but still serves asthe most prominent example of an actor getting removed for their views on the historical conflict. However, fans were quick to support Barrera and bash the decision, including franchise co-starJenna Ortega, who is no longer set to star in the nextScreamandshowed support for Barrera. Ortega’s words:
“The business that we work in is so touchy-feely. Everybody wants to be politically correct, but I feel like, in doing that, we lose a lot of our humanity and integrity because it lacks honesty. I wish that we had a better sense of conversation. Imagine if everyone could say what they felt and not be judged for it and, if anything, it sparked some sort of debate, not an argument.”
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It’s disappointing that actors face extreme consequences for making their support for Palestine public, potentially jeopardizing their standing in Hollywood. Barrera having a future in theScreamfranchise at some point isextremely unlikely,despite how positive the behind-the-scenes experience was. FormerScreamactorSkeet Urlich lamented Barrera’s situation,discussing her firing and the low possibility of his return to the franchise.
“I don’t know. I don’t really see a way that happens, but it’s a strange town. Who knows? I haven’t heard either way to be honest. I think it’s a sad state of affairs. [Melissa Barrera] was really just out for humanitarian reasons and suffers from it. It’s really sad to me . Everybody involved in that are such beautiful, caring, loving, empathetic people, and the labels are not fitting. So, it’s sad. I don’t know what’s coming down the line for Scream in general. I would imagine I’m probably out of it. But that’s okay. There’s more to do .”
