The stars teamed up to help production assistants working on the drama
Chicago P.D. fans have praised the show's cast after they made a generous gesture to production assistants amid the ongoing Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
According to Deadline, the stars of the popular NBC series have teamed up with production members to give each of the 13 set and office PAs working on the drama $1,500.
The money was distributed earlier this month, according to the outlet, with the second payment pending.
The show's First Assistant Director Richard White organized the campaign, with stars such as Patrick John Flueger, Marina Squerciati, Amy Morton and Tracy Spiridakos among those who have contributed.
Showrunner and executive producer Gwen Sigan also pitched in, as well as writer/executive producer Gavin Harris and writer/co-executive producer Scott Gold.
You may also like
Flueger donated to the cause twice, according to, while fellow cast member LaRoyce Hawkins also committed to taking part.
White told the publication that the donation amount has grown to $25,000 and will be given to entry-level staffers at Wolf Entertainment/Universal TV.
Taking to Twitter, now X, fans praised the incredible gesture and encouraged other shows to follow suit. Retweeting 's article, one person wrote: "This is wonderful. So very nice and thoughtful of all of them. #ChicagoPD. Hopefully the writers and others will get what they rightfully deserve very soon," while another added: "I really hope as many shows as possible follow their lead, especially if the series is longer-running. (And [red heart] to the #ChicagoPD EPs/stars/crew for doing this.)"
White, who has worked on the show for three seasons, said: "They are a really good team of kids I had the idea, as the strike was going on, of trying to do something for them because I knew they would be the ones that really would be hurting the most."
He went on to express his fears over PAs leaving the business amid the strike. "I don't want them to have to give up on their dreams right away because they have now been hit with a major hardship," he said. "My goal is to try and get publicity and see if other people are willing to step up to help out and do the same thing on their shows, to their production staff."
MORE: Chicago PD star Marina Squerciati reunites with former co-star as season 11 remains delayed
MORE: Chicago PD's Marina Squerciati shares rare video of daughter amid season 11 delay
Why are actors going on strike?
SAG-AFTRA member voted to strike on July 13 2023.
In 2022 it was reported that the average hourly pay for a California actor was $27.73 per hour. But many working actors do not work Monday-Friday 9am - 5pm jobs, and 86% of the 160,000 strong guild do not make more than $25,950 in covered earnings (money that contributes towards social security) per year, and therefore do not qualify for healthcare insurance.
Actors also receive financial compensations when their TV shows are syndicated, rerun, have a DVD release or enjoy a move to streaming services. The calculation is complex and can change depending on initial contract, length of time an actor has had guild membership, and the type of production. As an example the cast – Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and Matthew Perry – receive 2% of the syndication revenue for their hit WB show, meaning their annually bring in around $20million each. But as streaming services such as Netflix continue to refuse to share ratings, it makes it unclear how often content is played and it lowers an actor's residual calculation.
The SAG and Writers Guild of America members are also both fighting AMPTP over protections for their work against Artificial Intelligence, and fears that technology would replace humans.
When will Chicago P.D season 11 be released?
Production on season 11 has been delayed due to the ongoing strikes.
While new episodes of all the One Chicago shows usually air in the fall, they will likely now be broadcast in 2024.
LaRoyce Hawkins gave an update on production in July while appearing at an acting masterclass lecture at Louisiana State University.
"Naturally, after the writers strike, it's going to take the writers a while to start warming up their rooms again and starting to conceptualize stories again," he said. "So we might need like a three-week buffer."
Industry insiders have predicted that the strike will end in the fall, which means filming should commence shortly afterward.
Sign up to HELLO Daily! for the best royal, celebrity and lifestyle coverage
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qbHLpaammZeWx6q6xGeaqKVfm7atuY5uZ2lwZ2x8pLTInJigp12lsW6ywKeqZqiilra0sYycmKysXZaztbHRZqCnm6Kasaquy55koJ2jqcKzsYyapKKcXaiyor%2FOp2RqaV2Zsq2t2Gg%3D