Sean Astin's takes on the threat of AI, Fran Drescher and a 'Goonies' sequel

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Quotes from SAG-AFTRA president Sean Astin in an interview with The Associated Press. Astin, the new head of the actors’ union, will be part of forthcoming negotiations with studios and streamers — the first since the 2023 strike. The interview covered a range of topics — from his mother's time as SAG president to his predecessor Fran Drescher to just why the SAG Awards were renamed.

On the actors strike and the threat of AI

“I think the members knew years before, at least like two years before the 2023 negotiation, that artificial intelligence was coming. And it was coming in a very comprehensive way, and it could cost jobs. And I think that in our room, before it was visible to most of the members and the media and the companies and everything else, there was great urgency about it. So that was one of the premier strike issues. And it’s only gotten, from a labor perspective, graver.”

On his mother Patty Duke's time as SAG president in the 1980s

“She was hilarious when she would come home from a board meeting — you know, just so, you know, annoyed because she would say, you know, ‘All these actors are in the boardroom wanting to play the part of a board member, instead of actually getting something done.’”

On his predecessor Fran Drescher

“Fran did a great job of letting all of the different people from the different sort of philosophical or political groups and schisms in our organization be heard. And she kept saying, that’s a secret sauce. And she’s absolutely right. If you know anything about conflict resolution, it starts with listening to all the parties in a way where they feel safe and they’re willing to operate in good faith. And Fran put that intention on the room, it worked, and the results were very clear to all of the members.”

On changing the SAG Awards to the Actor Awards

“I think understanding the rebrand actually makes it more tolerable for people who are like, ‘You know, 30 years it’s been the SAG Awards, everybody knows it.’ Well, the metrics that Netflix, who pays for the show at this point, had showed that ... international folks didn't know what it was. You call it the Actor Awards? People are going to know what it is.”

On a possible ‘Goonies’ legacy sequel

“Steven Spielberg is the decider. So if it captures the whimsy and the magic, then I can see him and Chris Columbus, who’s really driving the effort, going forward with it. … The audience really wants to see what happens to the people they know. Because, you know, a lot of times in sequels or reboots or whatever, it’s a new cast, it’s new story, it a new whatever, which I think, you know, ‘Goonies’ could do, but I think that, I think most of the Goonies, or maybe almost all of the Goonies, would be willing to go back and play around.”