Leonardo DiCaprio is helping to keep Hollywood strikes afloat by funding more than 20 actors.
Gigi Hadid, 28, Victoria Lamas, 24, and Eden Polani, 19, are just a few names that spring to mind. But this week, we’re heaping praise on the 48-year-old superstar for directing his support beyond the model community. Our sources say Leo is quietly funding more than 20 actors whose incomes have been hit by the Hollywood strikes since their walkout began on July 14.
Recipients include a number of extras who Leo knows personally after working with them on films in the past. They are said to have been blown away by the generosity of the actor, who has also donated to the emergency fund of SAG-AFTRA – The Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
“Leo didn’t want to make any public statements that would exacerbate the problem but is privately using profits from his businesses to support lower-wage actors whose incomes have been affected. “Around 20 of them have had their rent covered for the year and another has had their kids’ medical expenses covered. Most are extras he’s worked with and other lower-income thespians they’re in contact with.”
The unrest in Hollywood began when writers went on strike on May 2. That backlash, now in its fifth month, was a protest at lower incomes and the threat of AI. They were joined two months later by large numbers from the acting community, who have similar concerns. Two days after actors joined the picket line, Titanic star Leo took to Instagram, posting the SAG-AFTRA On Strike logo and declaring: “I stand in solidarity with my guild.”
