Actor James Cromwell's character Ewan Roy made a surprise appearance in the penultimate episode of HBO's hit series Succession, delivering a powerhouse performance that matched the Emmy-worthy breakdown of Kieran Culkin's character.
Despite Cromwell's limited presence this season, his portrayal of Ewan Roy, the environmentally conscious brother of Logan Roy, played by Brian Cox, left a lasting impact.
Cromwell's return to the series was marked by a captivating eulogy at Logan's funeral, which not only reduced Roman Roy to tears but also ignited discussions surrounding fair compensation for talented writers amidst ongoing strikes.
Capitalizing on the buzz surrounding his performance, Cromwell took to Twitter to address the current state of the entertainment industry, emphasizing the importance of compensating writers for their invaluable contributions, particularly in light of the ongoing writers' strike.
Cromwell praised the exceptional writing that allowed him to deliver a brilliant speech, not only illuminating his character but also enriching the overall narrative of the show.
He wrote:
"It begins with the words. Nothing happens without them. Sometimes, the writing achieves transcendence, but, in every case, it’s seminal."
"I got to a give a brilliant speech recently, which not only explicated my and my brother’s characters, it illuminated an entire narrative."
You can see Cromwell's tweet below.
Cromwell proceeded to passionately advocate for fair compensation, stressing that writers should be able to support themselves and their families adequately:
"This is what great writers do. And they need to be compensated in accordance with their contribution. At the very least, they need to be able to provide for themselves and their families."
"In this era of corporate greed and union busting, management seems to hold all the cards. Except for the most important ones: Unity; Solidarity; Fraternity. All of us win when the writers win. And we will win."
"Union! Strike!"
You can see his tweets below.
Many praised Cromwell for speaking out.
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is taking a firm stance, declaring their preparedness to continue striking until they secure a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) that safeguards writing as a viable profession.
Since talks collapsed on May 1, the two parties have not returned to the negotiating table. They have now entered a "cooling-off" phase, as described by a well-informed source within the television industry who spoke with Vanity Fair.
Unfortunately, the relationship between the groups has become increasingly strained, with both sides issuing statements that highlight their substantial disagreements, particularly regarding the integration of artificial intelligence (AI).
As of now, no date has been set to resume negotiations.
