Title: Cast and Creators of Beloved Shows Join Writers Guild of America Strike in Los Angeles
Subtitle: Ugly Betty, George Lopez, and Bones reunite to support the strike and discuss the possibility of future projects
Los Angeles, CA – On day 67 of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, the cast and creatives from three popular television shows joined the picket lines across Los Angeles. The Ugly Betty reunion took place bright and early at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, with stars Ana Ortiz and Chris Gorham showing their support alongside writers Brian Tannen, Gabrielle Stanton, Sheila Lawrence, Chris Black, Henry Myers, Cameron Litvack, and Tracy Poust.
Ugly Betty, based on the hit Spanish-language novela Betty La Fea, aired for four seasons from 2006 to 2010. The series followed the story of Betty Suarez, a unique beauty with an unconventional sense of style navigating her way through the fashion magazine industry. Developed by Silvio Horta for ABC, the show also starred America Ferrera, Mark Indelicato, Eric Mabius, Tony Plana, Becki Newton, and Michael Urie.
Sheila Lawrence, who has writing credits on Gilmore Girls, Desperate Housewives, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Love, Victor, expressed her concerns about the future of the writing profession if things don’t change. However, she remained hopeful, saying, “It’s been amazing to be out here and to feel so much support from everyone all these days in. Cars are still honking every day. So I’m hopeful this will come to a good conclusion.” Lawrence also discussed the possibility of a new Ugly Betty series or film, but acknowledged the existence of rights issues.
The Ugly Betty reunion sparked discussions about a potential reboot, with Ana Ortiz and Chris Gorham taking a quick break from the picket lines to encourage fans to speak out and show their support for the beloved series.
In a separate picket at Warner Bros., a reunion of the George Lopez show took place with star Constance Marie leading the line alongside Ernie Cardenas, Masiela Lusha, and Ann Lopez, the inspiration behind Marie’s character Angie. George Lopez followed the life of a fictionalized version of the actor, George Edward Lopez. The series, created by George Lopez, Bruce Helford, and Robert Borden for ABC, also starred Luis Armand Garcia, Belita Moreno, Emiliano Diez, and Aimee Garcia. Constance Marie, who is a member of SAG-AFTRA, expressed similar concerns as the writers, addressing issues such as streaming platforms and outdated distribution contracts.
Lastly, the Bones reunion picket took place at the Fox lot in Century City, led by series creator Hart Hanson. Stars Emily Deschanel, Chad Lowe, Pej Vahdat, and Ryan Cartright joined the picket line. Bones, a procedural series that ran for 12 seasons from 2005 to 2017, followed forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan (Deschanel) and FBI agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) as they solved murder cases.
The solidarity shown by the cast and creatives of Ugly Betty, George Lopez, and Bones highlights the ongoing issues faced by writers and industry professionals in the changing landscape of television and streaming platforms. As the strike continues, the possibility of future projects, including reboots and new installments, is a topic of discussion among those involved.