Jay Leno found a sweet way to show solidarity with writers striking across Hollywood this Tuesday.
The late-night legend ensured he wasn’t empty-handed when he visited the people picketing outside The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California.
Leno was greeted with a crowd of cheers as he passed out boxes of donuts to the demonstrators, who started walking outside Hollywood studios only hours after the strike was initiated at midnight.
Members of the Writers Guild of American West and Writers Guild of American West ceased work early Tuesday after contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents studios and streaming companies, reached a stalemate.
Leno certainly knows the impact a strike can take. His show “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” aired reruns for a large stretch of the 2007-2008 WGA strikes, which lasted 100 days. (HuffPost’s unionized employees are represented by the WGAE.)
The comedian initially showed support by delivering treats to writers outside of Universal Studios at the start of the strike in November 2007.
His show returned writer-free in early January 2008, and WGA reached an agreement with the studios on February 12.
Leno wasn’t the only famous face spotted on the picket line this time around.
“Poker Face’s” Natasha Lyonne and “Parks and Recreations’” Rob Lowe walked outside the Paramount offices in Los Angeles.
“Community’s” Gillian Jacobs, comedian Ike Barinholtz and “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” creator and star Rachel Bloom all shared photos from the picket lines in LA. Likewise, “SNL” alum Aidy Bryant and stand-up Wanda Sykes were spotted demonstrating in New York.
Writers are at odds with the studios over deteriorating working conditions across the industry. Among their concerns are the formulas behind residual payments, studios’ policies around AI, and the use of gig economy-style “mini-rooms” for streaming shows.