Notable actors and Hollywood studios agree to a deal

One of the longest labor crises in Hollywood history is finally coming to an end.

SAG-AFTRA, the union representing tens of thousands of actors, reached a tentative agreement Wednesday for a new contract with entertainment companies, paving the way for the $134 billion U.S. film and television industry to get back on track.

Hollywood’s assembly lines have been at a virtual standstill since May due to a pair of writers’ and actors’ strikes, causing financial pain for studios and many of the two million Americans – make-up artists, set builders, location scouts, drivers, casting directors – who perform jobs directly or indirectly related to the making of TV shows and films.

Angry about streaming service pay and fearful of rapidly developing artificial intelligence technology, actors joined screenwriters on picket lines in July. The writers had walked away in May over similar concerns. It was the first time since 1960, when Ronald Reagan was head of the actors’ union and Marilyn Monroe still starred in films, that both actors and writers went on strike.

This is a development story. Check back for updates.

Brooks Barnes And Nicole Sperling reported from Los Angeles and Johannes Koblin From New York.