Sean Astin was elected SAG-AFTRA’s national president in Friday’s union-wide balloting, taking nearly four-fifths of the vote and succeeding Fran Drescher, who chose not to seek another term. Actor Michelle Hurd won the secretary-treasurer post. The union announced the results as Astin begins a two-year term leading the 160,000-member guild.
Astin defeated New England board member Chuck Slavin with 16,143 votes to 4,228, a 79.25% to 20.75% margin. The union reported 117,994 ballots mailed and 20,459 returned, a turnout of 17.34%. Hurd won with about 65% of the vote.
“Now is a time for optimism and creativity,” Astin said in a statement after the count, adding that he intends to “lead our storied organization out of this challenging moment and into a future defined by confidence, progress and fierce advocacy.” The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers congratulated him and said it looks forward to working together. Astin follows his mother, Patty Duke, who led the Screen Actors Guild in the 1980s.
The new leadership inherits a docket shaped by the 118-day actors’ strike in 2023 and the TV/Theatrical agreement that runs through June 30, 2026. That pact introduced wage hikes, a viewership-based streaming bonus and the union’s first guardrails on AI, while leaving unresolved debates about how far protections should go. The next round of TV/Theatrical bargaining is scheduled for summer 2026, with AI and streaming compensation again expected to dominate.
Local leadership votes were also finalized, including new officers in Los Angeles and New York, as the union eyes organizing, health plan pressures and production flight alongside contract preparation.
