Actors' strike triggers… plastic surgery in Hollywood!

In May 2023, the biggest Hollywood strike since the 1970s began. Approximately 11,000 screenwriters began protesting on May 2. They were joined by 160,000 actors and actresses of the Sag-Aftra union in July.

A strike of this magnitude is causing major consequences, mostly negative, for the city of Los Angeles and all related industries, especially the restaurant and hotel sectors.

However, in other circles, the celebrity strike has led to a big surge: we are talking about cosmetic surgery!

According to what Dr. Ben Talei (pictured) of the Beverly Hills Center for Plastic Surgery told TMZ, the cosmetic medicine and surgery sector in Hollywood has recently been working seven days a week.

First- and second-category actors are the ones who most take advantage of the strike. They have the greatest economic resources for the expensive treatments. The strike enables them to recover from the interventions without having to face the public or a camera.

During the strike, the actors and actresses cannot be present at the premieres of the films or TV series in which they have participated, so... what's better than a touch-up during this little disappearance from the worldly scene?

According to Dr. Ben Talei on TMZ, the type of treatment chosen depends above all on the duration of the strike: the longer it is expected to take, the more invasive treatment is the treatment that the stars will choose.

The aesthetic interventions most requested by Hollywood stars are varied, but some of them are particularly popular.

The procedures favored by celebrities often concern the face, especially the eyelid area They can get a blepharoplasty, an eyelid reduction, or less invasive treatments.

Another big request is rhinoplasty, or an operation to have a different nose. This type of surgery requires more recovery time before the star is able to go back to the set or the red carpet.

Dr. Ben Talei also revealed that, recently, two of his favorite athletes turned to him for a procedure, as well as two famous singers and a well-known member of the Scientology church... Who would these superstars be?

The celebrities treated by Doctor Talei may be some of the 160,000 members of the famous strike. The unions involved do not only include actors and actresses but also models, radio presenters, and YouTubers.

Leading the actors' union is Fran Drescher, our beloved "nanny" from the popular 90s TV series. In a fiery speech, she invoked the French Revolution: "Eventually, the people break down the gates of Versailles, and then it's over!" she said, according to Variety.

Among the unions' requests is an increase in residual rights, i.e. royalties that are usually paid when a TV series or film is broadcast through online platforms.

The other main reason for the strike concerns the use of artificial intelligence in the world of television and cinema.

Furthermore, the actors' union wants guarantees that AI does not replace the work of actors and actresses. They press for a clarification of who will be the owner of an actor's image once it's being reproduced by artificial intelligence.

While Artificial Intelligence replacing real actors is a possibility in the future that they have to prepare themselves for, today, the stars can work on their appearances in real life by undergoing any kind of cosmetic surgery they want. It will be interesting to see who changed once the strike gets resolved...