Ryan Murphy Initiates $500,000 Support Fund for Cast and Crew Affected by Hollywood Strikes.
In a generous gesture of support for those impacted by the concurrent strikes in Hollywood, Ryan Murphy is stepping up to assist his former and current cast and crew members needing financial aid.
Ryan Murphy has allocated $500,000 to inaugurate the “Ryan Murphy Productions Assistance Fund,” a lifeline designed to extend assistance to the exceptional talents within the ranks of Ryan Murphy Productions. The announcement of this fund's creation was made via an Instagram post, directing individuals in need to a dedicated website where they can submit applications for financial support. Given Ryan Murphy's status as one of Hollywood's most prolific creators in television and film, this initiative holds the potential to provide substantial aid to a multitude of professionals in the industry.
The Instagram post conveying this message emphasized the collaborative nature of the entertainment industry, with the caption stating, “Every story we've woven, each character brought to life, and every set constructed carry with them an inimitable thread of collaboration. As my colleagues face the challenges brought forth by the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the imperative to support each other is even more pronounced. Together, we will navigate through this chapter, and before long, we'll once again create, inspire, and innovate within the industry we love.”
The strikes began with the Writers Guild of America taking action on May 2 due to an ongoing labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). Subsequently, members of SAG-AFTRA joined the picket lines on July 14, leading to a widespread halt in work across the Hollywood landscape.
This timely initiative to establish the Ryan Murphy Productions Assistance Fund coincides with the forthcoming release of Ryan Murphy's latest project, “American Horror Story: Delicate,” featuring a star-studded cast including Emma Roberts, Kim Kardashian, Cara Delevingne, Billie Lourd, and Matt Czuchry, among others. The production of this FX series was met with protests by members of the Writers Guild of America during filming, as tensions escalated with East Coast strike captain Warren Leight. At the time, Murphy oversaw the production of other shows, including “American Sports Story” and “American Horror Stories” on the East Coast.
Ryan Murphy has earned a reputation for extending his support to fellow Hollywood professionals during times of crisis. In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Murphy matched a $100,000 donation from Netflix to assist the Motion Picture & Television Fund. Furthermore, he collaborated with the Actors Fund, now known as the Entertainment Community Fund, on an auction to aid those facing unemployment during the pandemic. Notably, he previously made a substantial donation of $10 million to Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
Numerous productions fall under the umbrella of Ryan Murphy Productions, making cast and crew members from various titles eligible for assistance through the fund. These titles include “Nip/Tuck,” “Glee,” “Hollywood,” “Halston,” “The Prom,” “The Politician,” “American Horror Story,” “Feud,” “Scream Queens,” “Ratched,” “American Crime Story,” “The Watcher,” “The Normal Heart,” “The Watcher,” and “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” among many others.
