Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's Generous Act Amidst the Writers' Strike Leaves Jimmy Kimmel's Staff in Awe

Summary

Affleck and Damon offered to pay the writers on Jimmy Kimmel Live! during the strike, showing their awareness of the struggle of working writers.

Streep, Jackman, Johnson, Kidman, and DiCaprio, along with other prominent Hollywood figures, have demonstrated their support by donating to the Entertainment Community Fund. Affleck and Damon, being influential actors themselves, play a vital role in boosting the momentum of the strikes and confronting the dominance of major Hollywood studios.

Actors Ben Affleck and Matt Damon generously offered financial support to the writers of Jimmy Kimmel Live! amid the ongoing strike by the Writers Guild of America (WGA). This strike, which began on May 2 and has lasted for over four months, now includes solidarity from the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA. Both unions are united on the picket lines as they confront resistant studio executives.

In a recent episode of the Strike Force Five podcast (via IndieWire), Jimmy Kimmel shared that Damon and Affleck extended a helping hand to the writers of his late-night talk show. They proposed to cover the staff's wages for a two-week period. While Kimmel was grateful for their offer, he declined it as he believed it should not be the responsibility of Damon and Affleck to compensate the staff. Kimmel explains further below:

“Ben Affleck and the despicable Matt Damon contacted me and offered to pay our staff for two weeks. A week each, they wanted to pay out of their own pockets our staff.”

How Big Name Actors Have Been Involved In The WGA & SAG-AFTRA Strikes

Referring to Damon as "despicable" is a playful allusion to the ongoing comedic rivalry between the actor and Kimmel. By offering to cover the expenses of his team, Damon extended a peace offering to his pretend adversary. Even though Kimmel ultimately turned down the offer, Damon and Affleck's gesture highlights their understanding of the plight faced by working writers who are struggling to make ends meet during the WGA strike.

Not only Affleck and Damon, but also other A-list Hollywood celebrities have shown their support for both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Millions of dollars have been donated to the Entertainment Community Fund since the WGA strike began in May. This fund helps provide emergency financial assistance to actors and other creatives behind the scenes. Meryl Streep, Hugh Jackman, Dwayne Johnson, Nicole Kidman, and Leonardo DiCaprio are among the notable names who have contributed to this fund, alongside Affleck and Damon.

It is vital for successful actors like Affleck and Damon to continue rallying their support for all WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikers. While it may be tempting to solely think of movie stars when considering notable actors, SAG-AFTRA also includes numerous background actors and lesser-known talents who rely on union benefits for their survival. The support of these prominent figures, whether by joining picket lines or offering to cover salaries for shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live, is crucial for the strikes to gather the necessary momentum and achieve a fair deal with the AMPTP.

Source: Strike Force Five (via IndieWire)