Harrison Ford’s stunt double sets himself on fire at actors’ strike rally

26 July, 2023

Harrison Ford

Stunt coordinator and actor Mike Massa set himself on fire during a SAG-AFTRA rally.

Massa, who was Harrison Ford’s stunt double in Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny, set himself ablaze on Monday (July 24) during a demonstration in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) union went on strike earlier this month, after negotiations broke down with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) over streaming residuals and safeguards against AI technology.

At the end of the rally, Massa took to the stage in a flame-covered jacket. In the video’s caption on Instagram, he wrote: “We are tired of being burned by the AMPTP.”

In a follow-up post, Massa added: “We wanted to make a statement and I think we did! It was great to see such a great turnout from our local stunt community, local leadership, and actors who showed up to support us. It was a great day!”

Bryan Cranston gave an impassioned speech during a rally on Tuesday (July 25) in New York’s Times Square, where he directly addressed Disney CEO Bob Iger, who recently described the union’s decision to go on strike as “very disturbing”.

“We’ve got a message for you Mr Iger,” Cranston said (via the Guardian). “I know, sir, that you look [at] things through a different lens. We don’t expect you to understand who we are. But we ask you to hear us, and beyond that to listen to us when we tell you we will not be having our jobs taken away and given to robots.

“We will not have you take away our right to work and earn a decent living. And lastly, and most importantly, we will not allow you to take away our dignity!”

Other actors at the rally included Christine Baranski, Brendan Fraser, F. Murray Abraham, Wendell Pierce, Christian Slater and Steve Buscemi.

In response to the actors’ strike earlier this month, the AMPTP said: “This is the union’s choice, not ours. In doing so, it has dismissed our offer of historic pay and residual increases, substantially higher caps on pension and health contributions, audition protections, shortened series option periods, a groundbreaking AI proposal that protects actors’ digital likenesses and more.”

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