Equal pay for equal work is a fundamental concept of labor agreements.
I will say that equity overall is an important issue and one we are constantly looking at. In a perfect world, the entertainment and media industry and the content on our screens would reflect the true American scene.
These issues of gender equity and diversity have been ongoing conversations throughout the decades. I remember even when I was just starting in the business in the 1980s. It's not just Hollywood's problem. This is systemic. It's in our country, so what happens in Hollywood is that everything's just magnified because it's out there in the public.
Safety is always a paramount concern for us. We are always engaged with the studios and with what better structures can be done.
Women come to a time in their lives where they raise their kids, they've had their careers, their kids leave home, and they're deciding, 'Am I recommitting to my relationship? It's been a great ride. Do I want to stay here? Maybe there's something else.'
The world is diverse, and it's important for us to reflect the real world.
I met a girl when I was in third grade. Kids were beating her up - she was deaf - so I walked her home. Her parents were deaf and they gave me the alphabet on a card. I learned it and taught my friends how to do the alphabet - which was outlawed in our school because we used to talk to each other in class.
Television is a very gratifying medium.
Stage is all real; it's just as honest except it's bigger. I love stage, I love TV and film, so I think I'll just keep exploring and try to keep a really full picture.
For me, an aspiration is to be respected by my peers, people in the industry.
We never want to see anyone go in front of the camera or behind the mic without union protection.
I see us continuing to expand our contracts just as we've done with Netflix and with Telemundo. We are not just bound to the traditional employers that we've had in the past.
The thing I enjoy most about campaigning is getting to have so many conversations with members. The downside is it takes away from the work of the union. I think that the work of the members is the most important thing.
Words have consequences and SAG-AFTRA members deserve leadership that is interested in the path forward, not a return to the divisiveness of the past. I am proud to provide that leadership.
Differences of opinion are healthy and they're a part of what makes our democracy great. We grow by understanding each other's differences.
Success comes in doing the hard work - not breaking each other down, but building each other up. I don't expect any less from myself.
Inclusion and transparency have been mainstays of my leadership. It's about education and reaching out.
One of the tangible benefits of the merger is that we are not vying with each other for work. We can now focus on organizing work in one place. There is no SAG, no AFTRA, only SAG-AFTRA.
Relationships with sister guilds are growing stronger and stronger. It's important that all of us are working together - all the unions and the employers. It behooves us to come together.
I have permanent damage to my facial nerves. I went to the UCLA Movement Disorder Clinic, and after two years of tests and constant monitoring they have finally found the right medication that keeps the spasms under control.
