On July 13, as its leadership SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists announced the union was going on strike, its president Courtney B. Vance and executive director Cyd Wilson wrote a letter to its 2,700 top-paying members outlining the financial hardship many other members will face during the work stoppage.

“Having been through the same during Covid – 19 and having had such a great response from our members to take care of theirs, when the strike was decided, Courtney and I sat down with our team and said, “Let’s do it again,” Wilson told Variety.

During the Covid -19 pandemic, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation (a non-profit organization affiliated with, but not part of, the Union) worked to provide financial support to many of its 160,000 members through an Emergency Financial Assistance Program, which will be reactivated to assist members during the strike.

“We rely on donations and grants to provide services – we’ve been very fortunate to raise enough funds to be able to cover all of our programs,” explained Wilson. “But when we’re dealing with a crisis like this and we’re going to spend millions and millions of dollars in financial aid, then we need high-profile talent who can afford it, who are in a position to help others».

Shortly after sending the letter, his team Dwayne Johnson reached out to say he wanted to help, so Wilson and Vance got a call.

The exact amount remains confidential, as they clarified and spoke of great generosity. “This sends a huge message to other people to do the same thing,” they stressed.

Cyd Wilson said SAG-AFTRA Foundation grants offer up to $1,500 per individual member, but in extreme circumstances where there are health problems or other situations that indicate an actor is in serious danger, a member can receive up to $6,000 in emergency financial assistance. So Dwayne Johnson’s seven-figure donation makes it possible to help thousands of actors.