Fran Drescher to Run for SAG-AFTRA President

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SAG-AFTRA is about to get a little more style and flair. Fran Drescher, of “The Nanny” fame, has announced that she is running to be president of SAG-AFTRA. Current union president Gabrielle Carteris has announced that she will not run for re-election but has thrown her support behind Drescher.

Drescher will face competition for the presidency. “Stranger Things” actor Matthew Modine has announced that he will also run for SAG-AFTRA president. Modine last ran for the position in 2019, but was beaten by Carteris, who has held the position since 2016. 

SAG-AFTRA members will be able to vote for a new president on Aug. 3 when ballots are mailed out. The results will be tabulated on Sept. 2.

In an Instagram post, Drescher said that her running mate will be actor Anthony Rapp, who is running for SAG-AFTRA national secretary-treasurer. They have the endorsement of Unite for Strength, one of the governing parties in SAG-AFTRA, led by Carteris. “I hope to apply my experience as the president of the @CancerSchmancer Movement & my success on Capitol Hill as well as Public Diplomacy Envoy 4 uniting our union, increasing member benefits & giving our 160k strong membership a more significant presence on the national landscape,” said Drescher on Instagram.

The Cancer Schmancer Movement is the nonprofit the Drescher founded to help educate young people and adults on how to identify and eliminate the causes of cancer.

Modine is running for president with Joely Fisher running for national secretary-treasurer. The two are running with Membership First, another governing party in SAG-AFTRA. “We are so excited to begin changing the direction of our union,” said Modine and Fisher in a joint statement. “We’ve witnessed the weakening of our contracts with every negotiation. Our financial participation has not kept pace with the extraordinary profits being made by our employers. We intend to change that.”

In their campaign platform, Modine and Fisher talked about wanting to improve the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan, including advocating for higher studio contributions to union health insurance, and improving residuals.

On its website, Unite for Strength talked about its achievement under Carteris, including negotiating a contract with Netflix, and creating a union hotline for sexual harassment complaints. Under Drescher, Unite for Strength plans to advocate for increased residuals and increased pay for background actors.

Carteris will still be involved with SAG-AFTRA. She is running for the SAG-AFTRA national board alongside actor Camryn Manheim, who is also stepping down from her role as SAG-AFTRA’s secretary-treasury.

“I am so pleased to have served the members of SAG-AFTRA for the last five and a half years and it is with joy and humility that I pass the baton to a new team of experienced and dedicated leaders who will guide the union into the future,” said Carteris in a statement to Deadline. “With Fran Drescher at the helm, I know our union and our membership are in great hands. It’s bittersweet to move on, but I do so with gratitude and great confidence in Fran and the remarkable Anthony Rapp.”