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Last Updated: Monday, 19 November 2007, 11:05 GMT
Clooney gives cash to strike fund
George Clooney, pictured in September
Clooney told Variety he would make periodic donations to the fund
Oscar-winning actor George Clooney has donated $25,000 (£12,200) to a charity providing emergency relief for workers hit by the Hollywood writers strike.

He also urged his fellow stars to give to the New York-based Actors Fund, which provides grants to workers in all walks of the entertainment industry.

"To people like myself, the strike is a forced vacation," he told Variety.

"But there is the fear that a prolonged strike can destroy people who make a living in this industry," he continued.

"My hope is that people who can afford it will take responsibility for this and help out."

Members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike on 5 November, demanding a greater share of profits from DVD and internet sales.

The strike has crippled US television, forcing talk shows to be suspended and threatening many popular primetime series.

Lucrative

Negotiations between the WGA and the Hollywood studios will re-open on 26 November, after the US Thanksgiving holiday.

But there has been less encouraging news in New York, where talks between striking theatre stagehands and Broadway producers have broken down.

It means that many theatres will be dark over Thanksgiving, traditionally one of the most lucrative periods in the theatre calendar.

No further negotiations have been scheduled between the Local One union and the League of American Theatres and Producers, according to a statement issued by the latter.

Some 27 plays and musicals have been forced to cancel performances since the strike began on 10 November.



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