A group of advocates has set up the Hollywood Support Staff COVID-19 Relief Fund to provide a little financial relief to Los Angeles-based employees while the coronavirus pandemic continues.
- Mar 19, 2020
AceShowbiz - Top TV gurus Shonda Rhimes, David Benioff, and Greg Berlanti have made generous donations to a new Hollywood relief fund benefitting support staffers amid the coronavirus chaos.
The majority of movie and TV shoots have ground to a halt due to the global COVID-19 outbreak, leaving many in the entertainment industry out of work, and without any viable income.
Among those hardest hit are low-paid support staff - typically people who indirectly help to keep productions running, so a group of advocates has set up the Hollywood Support Staff COVID-19 Relief Fund to provide a little financial relief to Los Angeles-based employees while the coronavirus pandemic continues.
"Chernobyl" writer/producer Craig Mazin promoted the gofundme campaign on Twitter on Tuesday, March 17, when he and his screenwriter pal John August pledged to match up to $50,000 (£43,000) in donations to boost the relief fund.
"This is our community. Assistants take care of us... let's help take care of them," he tweeted. "@johnaugust and I will each (be) matching your donations up to $25,000... so $50,000 in total. MAKE US SPEND THIS MONEY! Give what you can."
His public plea prompted "Riverdale" producer Berlanti to step up to do the same, as "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scandal" creator Rhimes and "Game of Thrones" co-writer Benioff each also made identical pledges.
Their donations helped organisers, including those behind wage fight group PayUpHollywood, easily surpass their initial goal of $100,000 (£86,000), and by Wednesday, the pot had more than doubled as "The Vampire Diaries"' co-creator Julie Plec and "Watchmen"'s Damon Lindelof added their names - and funds - to the list of benefactors.
Married "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" stars Rob McElhenney and Kaitlin Olson have pitched in for the fundraising effort, as have "Silicon Valley" star Kumail Nanjiani and his wife, "The Big Sick" writer/producer Emily V. Gordon.
