Fran Drescher wanted to get up and work.
The “Nanny” star, who is the president of SAG-AFTRA, addressed her presence at a glitzy Dolce & Gabbana fashion show that took place just days before the union’s historic strike — and fired back at criticism over a photo she took with Kim Kardashian.
“That wasn’t a selfie,” Drescher clarified during a press conference Thursday. “I’m a brand ambassador for a fashion company and so is Kim. I had only met Kim seconds before that publicity picture was taken.
“It had nothing to do with being at a party or having fun — it was absolute work,” she continued. “We work. That’s what we do.”
The “Beautician and the Beast” actress, 65, had faced criticism for her “tone-deaf” appearance at Sunday’s glamorous event, which took place in Italy, given the timing of the imminent actors’ strike.
“This is a really bad f–king look, @frandrescher,” “Perry Mason” actor Eric Lange wrote in a since-deleted tweet.
“It’s astonishing that, on the eve of a likely strike, while people are losing their homes, their health insurance, etc you’re partying it up with Kim in Italy. Astonishing and indefensible.”
“Insidious: The Last Key” actor Kirk Acevedo, meanwhile, responded to the photo, “My union president chilling in Italy while we’re in the middle of negotiations and about to go on strike. We’re asking to be better compensated by the studios and Fran Drescher is mugging for cameras in Italy. The optics look f–king terrible.”
But Drescher maintained that she was in constant contact with her colleagues as they attempted to reach an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and even left the event early to appear on a Zoom call with negotiators.
“And if I couldn’t get through to them because I was on a plane, I was texting with them constantly throughout the plane ride,” she said.
The union unanimously voted Thursday to stop working after their contract expired and talks broke off with AMPTP.
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) already had ceased working, making this the first simultaneous strike in more than six decades and effectively shutting down Hollywood.
Both SAG-AFTRA and WGA are demanding increases in base pay and residuals in the streaming era, plus assurances that their work will not be replaced by artificial intelligence.
