The SAG-AFTRA strike has brought Hollywood to its knees. The industrial action has seen actors all over the industry down tools and refuse to work unless their demands are met. Because of the strike, production has ceased on almost every film and television series.
However, this is only partially true for the second season of Star Wars: Andor, the sci-fi action adventure television series from Disney. According to Deadline, the show was a few weeks away from wrapping up production. Unfortunately, the SAG-AFTRA strike rolled in and threw a wrench in the plans.
Andor Season 2 was under production in the UK with actors from both sides of the Atlantic. Where US actors belong to SAG-AFTRA, actors from the UK are members of Equity, the British acting union, which is not currently participating in any kind of strike.
Even though SAG-AFTRA members are on strike and, as a result, not showing up to work, production is still ongoing. The reason for this is that UK-based actors are still required to show up at work because they belong to a different trade union and have different terms of employment from their counterparts.
Because of this, Equity actors stand the risk of being sued for breach of contract if they down tools in solidarity with their colleagues from across the pond. This is just the first notable example of international productions encountering this odd scenario, but likely not the last.