Actor Mandy Patinkin joined the growing picket line of striking writers demanding fairer wages and job security. Patinkin’s decades long acting career on both the screen and the stage has given way to several memorable performances, notably in “The Princess Bride” and “Yentl.” The WGA strike began last week, due to guild writers demanding fair pay amid the rise of streaming services and better protections from AI use. A now viral clip of Patinkin’s passionate support for the writers on the picket line is taking over social media.
Mandy Patinkin: “Without writers we have nothing!” #WritersGuildStrike @WGAEast pic.twitter.com/5lx4sKw6JT
— WGA East vp Lisa Takeuchi Cullen (@LisaCullen) May 10, 2023
Why Patinkin’s Sign Is Going Viral
Patinkin’s passionate speech is capturing hearts across the world. The actor famously built a strong social media presence alongside his wife, fellow actor Kathryn Grody during the COVID-19 pandemic. His performance in “The Princess Bride” as Inigo Montoya particularly impacted Gen Z.
— Meech (@MediumSizeMeech) May 10, 2023
— Coach Blair (???????????? ‘23 District Champs) (@MisterSnyder23) May 10, 2023
The actor posted a picture with his sign that read “you killed residuals, prepare to pay.” The sign was in homage to his infamous line from “The Princess Bride”, in which his character repeatedly says “You killed my father, prepare to die.”
Saul’s unite! #wgastrong
Support our writers! pic.twitter.com/VdyElwh7C5
— Mandy Patinkin (@PatinkinMandy) May 10, 2023
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In the days leading up to Patinkin’s participation in the strike, he posted a moment of silence in solidarity with the strikers to the TikTok account he shares with his wife. The strike has already begun to impact several major productions, and resulted in the cancellation of the MTV Movie & TV Awards after host Drew Barrymore stepped down in solidarity with the writers.
@mandypatinktok This is what i would be doing on TV without the writers. Support #wgastrike Pay writers fairly! #writersstrike #strike
Patinkin is joining a growing list of actors who have joined the writers strike. The massive strike marks the first of its kind since 2008. Pete Davidson, Lisa Ann Walters, Lamorne Morris, Adam Scott, Jason Sudeikis, Jessica Marie Garcia are a few actors also among the nationwide strikers.
https://www.tiktok.com/@sarahmakeupandbooks/video/7230502068333628699?_r=1&_t=8c9QmKqpmkY&social_sharing=v4
Company leads of major studios, including Paramount, Warner Bros., and Netflix are yet to announce cooperation with writers’ demands. Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav previously stated that he was initially “hopeful” that negotiations would end before they came to a strike.
