Zachary Levi is clarifying his comments about the SAG-AFTRA strike.
The 42-year-old Shazam! and Chuck star went viral recently for his statements during Comic-Con Manchester last month. He criticized the SAG-AFTRA strike restrictions that made it so that he cannot talk about his past work, and declared that it was “so dumb.
In a video shared on TikTok, he was seen saying with a laugh:
“I’m not allowed to talk about – this is so dumb. I’m not allowed to talk about any of my previous work. I’m not allowed to talk about movies that I may be a superhero in.”
He went on:
“I’m not allowed to talk about TV shows that I may have been a nerd who worked at a Best Buy. I’m not allowed to talk about any animated princess movies that I was fantastic in as the best prince ever. I’m not allowed to talk about those things.”
After his statements went viral and led to some backlash, Zachary made a statement to clear the air. He said that he had just made an offhand remark that was “taken out of context.” He also made his support for the strike very clear.
Read his statement below:
“It’s come to my attention that an offhand remark I made in jest last weekend is being taken out of context. So let me be very clear. I fully support my union, the WGA, and the strike. I remain an outspoken critic of the exploitative system that us artists are subject to work in since I started my journey in this business 25 years ago. This strike is necessary to protect ourselves, our writers, and all those working in production who make the industry move.
But we also cannot forget our fans during this strike. Fans that spend their money and energy traveling far distances to talk with us about our work that means so much to them, we should be able to engage. Our business exists and succeeds because of the fans, and I think it’s imperative we appreciate them for their support of our careers.”
