As head of the actors guild, Sean Astin brings a little Rudy, a little Samwise, and a lot of fight

[Omaha Steve]

By ANDREW DALTON
Updated 9:56 AM CST, February 9, 2026

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sean Astin has taken on the presidency of the SAG-AFTRA at a particularly perilous time for the actors union, and for Hollywood. There’s the threat of human actors being replaced by artificial intelligence. The ongoing upheavals of streaming. Studio consolidation and realignment.

Nearly three years ago, the actors launched a four-month strike, securing some protections and higher wages. And on Monday, negotiations on a new three-year contract with studio and streamers are already beginning again.

So what actor would want this role?

“In my imagination, growing up, I would want to have been in a place of consequence,” he told The Associated Press in an interview in his office at the guild’s Los Angeles headquarters. “And so to have the opportunity to be in a role, leading a union of 160,000 people at this moment of consequence when there’s turmoil, when there’s fear and uncertainty and danger, this is exactly where I want to be.”

FULL story: https://apnews.com/article/sean-astin-sag-negotiations-a3074d365dea366b0b41dbb236ed6f8d

[highplainsdem]

1. I like him. He understands what a threat generative AI is.