Ryan Reynolds unleashes scathing criticism on Actors' Union for absurd Halloween rules

SAG-AFTRA is under scrutiny following the release of Halloween guidelines during the ongoing actors' strike. The guidelines urge Hollywood celebrities to opt for "generic" costumes rather than popular characters such as Barbie. Ryan Reynolds has shared his opinion on the matter.

During Halloween, there is a unique opportunity for fans of cult classics, TV series, and movies to celebrate their favorite characters. Countless individuals across America strive to embody beloved personas like Morticia and Gomez Addams, John Wick, Breaking Bad, Where's Waldo, as well as characters from recent critically acclaimed films like Barbie.

Despite the WGA's successful negotiation agreements, SAG-AFTRA has made little progress. The actors' union faced backlash in the midst of the strikes after releasing "guidelines" for Halloween, which were intended to demonstrate solidarity. These guidelines discouraged actors and union members from dressing up as famous characters from movies and TV shows. However, their efforts were met with strong opposition, with many interpreting the rules to also restrict their children's costumes. Even Ryan Reynolds weighed in on the perplexing Halloween debacle.

Ryan Reynolds poked sarcastic fun at SAG-AFTRA’s Halloween rules

The demand by SAG-AFTRA for actors to wear more generic costumes for Halloween has been met with bewilderment by celebrities like Ryan Reynolds and Mandy Moore, who find it absurd and worry that it will extend to their children, going against their notion of "solidarity."

Variety reported that SAG-AFTRA initially shared online guidelines for the Halloween season, offering suggestions for strike-friendly costumes. These guidelines advised opting for costumes resembling generalized characters such as ghosts, zombies, or spiders. Additionally, they emphasized refraining from dressing up as characters from non-struck content, such as animated TV shows.

Another rule discouraged actors from sharing photos featuring characters inspired by non-struck content on their social media platforms. Adhering to this rule would demonstrate solidarity with SAG-AFTRA and the ongoing strikes. For example, an actor dressing up as Wednesday Addams would not align with the union's objectives.

But following the initial publication, Hollywood actors flooded it with grievances. On Twitter, Ryan Reynolds voiced his thoughts, stating, "I can't wait to continuously chant 'scab' towards my 8-year-old throughout the entire evening. Even though she's not part of the union, it's important for her to understand."

SAG-AFTRA removed their original post and subsequently released a statement to clarify that the Halloween rules were not intended for children. The purpose of this clarification was to prevent the promotion of work that is affected by the strike. This guideline is part of a series that has been issued, but it does not pertain to any individual's children.

The strike has been ongoing for almost 100 days due to significant reasons. The organization's primary focus is to persuade the studios to return to the negotiating table in order to secure a fair agreement for their members and ultimately revive the industry.

Reynolds aside, Mandy Moore, the star of This is Us, expressed her disdain for the situation on Instagram, labeling it as a "joke". She emphasized the need for sincere negotiations on behalf of those working in the industry who have made significant sacrifices for months. Moore urged SAG-AFTRA to return to the negotiation table and reach a fair agreement so that everyone could resume their work. In a similar vein, former SAG president Melissa Gilbert questioned SAG-AFTRA's strategy on Instagram, asserting that nobody truly cared about Halloween costumes and doubting if such childish antics would bring an end to the strike.