Andre Agassi, "in a show of support to striking union
actors, has turned down an offer to shoot a nonunion ad in
Australia" after next month's Sydney Games, according to
Dave McNary of DAILY VARIETY. Agassi's attorney Todd Wilson
said that his client has "pledged he will do spots only
under union-approved interim agreements as long as" the
SAG/AFTRA strike against advertisers lasts. Wilson: "Andre
supports the unions. We've told the agencies that Andre is
willing to do ads only if they're done under an interim
agreement." Wilson added that the "issue arose when one of
Agassi's sponsors asked specifically for a spot to be shot"
in Australia around late September (DAILY VARIETY, 8/14).
IVERSON'S CROSSOVER: HoopsTV.com's Allie Powell
reported that 76ers G Allen Iverson broke the SAG/AFTRA
strike by filming an ad for Reebok in N.Y. last Thursday
(see THE DAILY, 8/11) and also went "against the express
mandate" of the NBPA. SAG says that both Reebok and ad
agency Berlin Cameron & Partners are "struck," meaning that
"they have not signed union-approved interim agreements."
But Powell cited SAG member services in N.Y. and L.A. as
saying that Iverson is "not a registered member of SAG, even
with his extensive commercial work." Meanwhile, one source
"close to Iverson" said that the Reebok ad was "made to look
like a music video, perhaps to make it seem less like a
commercial" (HoopsTV.com, 8/11).
THE ETHICS OF ARLI$$: Actor Robert Wuhl appeared on
"The Keith Olbermann Evening News" last night and discussed
athletes breaking the SAG/AFTRA strike: "As an actor, maybe
the thing is, [athletes] shouldn't be in the actors' union.
... The athletes aren't actors. If you don't believe me,
watch my show ["Arli$$"]. But the fact is, it's not really
their union. They're not taking away jobs from actors.
They're getting specific things for their deal. That said,
they are part of the union they've joined. Maybe they
shouldn't join the union" (FSN, 8/13).
