Seeking to fend off a challenge to its leadership in the Screen Actors Guild, the group known as Membership First on Friday declared its own slate of candidates who will run in an upcoming board election.
The election, which will be decided Sept. 18, could be pivotal in charting the union's course and determining whether, and how soon, the stalemate with the studios ends. The sides, sharply at odds over how actors should be paid in new media, failed to reach an agreement to replace a contract that expired June 30.
Membership First said it had a full slate of candidates to fill 11 Hollywood division seats on the national board, plus 22 seats for those who serve as alternate board members when regulars cannot attend meetings.
The candidates, whose eligibility to run must still be verified by the guild, include Joely Fisher, star of the sitcom " 'Til Death"; Keith Carradine, who played a special agent in the "Dexter" TV series; and Scott Bakula, known for his role as the captain in "Star Trek: Enterprise."