Hollywood Strike Ends, Minorities See Path Forward

By Alberto Arellano

Nosa Iyobhebhe has worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Yet her face remains behind the screen. As a hair consultant for Hollywood she has worked with Zoey Kravitz and Paris Hilton. Having worked with from the BBC to Netflix, she thought she was diversified enough in a downward trending economy. Then came the Hollywood strike sparked over concerns about the role of artificial intelligence in the entertainment industry.

“It was really tough in particular because opportunities, I specialize and there are less opportunities for minorities,” said Iyobhebhe.

During the strike she sought out other oppurtunities and had time to focus on passion and develop her entrepreneurial side. She has worked to further develop her art gallery Nosa Creatives.

Though a deal this month has ended the strike, the lingering effects of the strike will be deeply felt.

Those in the entertainment industry said things will be slow to recover. Hollywood CEOS have had months to mull projects and consider where their leadership can best be applied. What this means for those who work under such CEO is unclear.

The fact that British-Nigerian based stylists in London has been impacted by the strike shows how the Hollywood strike.

“The end is near and I believe in the cause that started the strike and its goals. I am just glad it appears to all be over,“ said Iyobhebhe.

The end of the Hollywood strikes is welcome news for the thousands of workers in the industry. The writer’s guild embarked on the strike over issues surrounding to the potential impact of artificial intelligence on the industry. On Wednesday, November 8, 2023, The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA ) negotiators approved a tentative agreement that ended the longest actors strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) in Hollywood history.

For actor and union member Kamal Mah

moud, the historic event was also noteworthy because it happened to take place on his birthday.

“Needless to say, it was such a great birthday gift. The 118-day passionate strike took a toll on everyone in our industry. As a proud member of SAG-AFTRA, I am very pleased that our negotiating committee finally approved a deal on a unanimous vote. It is important to mention that both sides worked so hard to put the finishing touches to this historical deal.”

Mahmoud is an international actor originally from Morocco, who was born and raised in Paris, France. Mahmoud’s first picture was a small role alongside Will Ferrell, Andre 3000 and Woody Harrelson in point guard in 2008. The role built on his background as a former NCAA Division College basketball and Professional Basketball player overseas. Since then his career has blossomed to include a number of roles on both sides of the aisle

“ I am also a proud American actor of African descent. Having all these wonderful layers can be both a blessing and a curse. To simply put it I’ve been having a very hard time securing consistent work in Hollywood. Although I initially prayed for a quick resolution to this strike, I understood early on that the negotiations would be painful and extremely taxing for all parties involved.”

Still like the overwhelming majority of Hollywood workers involved in the strike Mahmoud feels it was well worth to engage in the hard fought battle. His outlook on the future of the entertainment industry speaks for many in the industry.

“I am very grateful for both the historic pay increase and the protections for us actors against artificial intelligence that this new deal is successfully securing. I am so eager to get back to work and take my career to the next level.”

Indeed Mahmoud is already on set for his next major role.