After the AMPTP walked away from the bargaining table over a week ago, Ted Sarandos is hopeful that upcoming talks with SAG-AFTRA on Tuesday will result in an agreement that works for both sides.
“I’m an optimist. I’m an eternal optimist. We’ve been at the table and we’ve been receptive and we’re working as hard as we can. It’s affected a lot of people,” Sarandos told Variety at A Sense of Home’s third annual gala, held at the Netflix CEO’s private residence on Saturday night.
“I mean, we’re talking about helping people with housing instability today. This strike has cost families billions of dollars and communities billions of dollars. It’s 3% of the national economy, 20% of the California economy is affected by this strike. So we are trying very hard to get this done,” he added.
Sarandos concluded his remarks by reflecting on his own experience when his family went on strike. “We were very dependent on the generosity of others to food bank for us and make sure we had food to eat during that long strike when my dad was a union electrician. So I understand the impact it has on people. It’s one of those things where the business is changing, it’s complicated for sure. But we also have the opportunity to move forward with a modern agreement that can make sure that everybody’s taken care of.
Sarandos made headlines last week after he briefly offered his take on the guild’s recent talks with the studios during the streamer’s third-quarter earnings video call on Wednesday, claiming that SAG-AFTRA had “broken our momentum” to reach an agreement with a new demand for a “subscriber fee unrelated to viewership or success”.
“But you should know that we are incredibly, totally committed to ending the strike. The industry, our communities, the economy are all suffering. So we need to get a deal done that respects all sides as soon as possible,” he said at the time.
The executive opened up about his feelings on the new round of talks alongside his wife Nicole Avant as they co-hosted the charity gala, which honoured Charlotte and Gary Gilbert and Ruggable CEO Jeneva Bell.
With speeches from A Sense of Home CEO Georgie Smith, Property Brothers star Drew Scott and fashion designer Rachel Zoe, the crowd gathered in the Sarandos’ decorated garden to hear from several A Sense of Home alumni who shared their experiences as former foster children who’ve aged out of the system and been supported by the organisation.
“We all know that and we’re all very lucky to be able to go home tonight and sleep in a warm bed and have running water and, you know, feel safe and secure and have something of our own, but so many people don’t. When I first met Georgie and Melissa, they reminded me that when you age out of foster care – can you imagine for a second hearing, ‘Here’s $200. Good luck.’ And you’re out there with no support system, no one to look after you, no one to really have your back? It’s just not right,” said Avant, who also told Variety on the red carpet that her late mother, Jacqueline Avant, was her inspiration to give back to organisations like A Sense of Home. Guests were also given a copy of Avant’s recently released memoir, Think You’ll Be Happy: Moving Through Grief With Grit, Grace, and Gratitude” in their goody bags, among other items.
“And we can’t fix everybody. We can’t fix everything. God knows we can’t fix the government. But the government works for us. So we are going to make a difference, one step at a time. Tonight is proof that you’re all here and whatever you give, it’s one step at a time, one family at a time, one parent at a time, one person at a time. It’s always one step at a time, but you’re planting the best seeds and the kind of seeds and the seeds of love that will grow,” she said.
