Apparently the Sag-Aftra strike has given A-Listers the time to invest in their looks (Picture: Getty)
As performers down tools as part of the US actors’ strike, there’s reportedly been a marked increase in demand for cosmetic surgery in Hollywood.
Since the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (Sag-Aftra) called for strike action on July 13 – and in the weeks leading up to it – one plastic surgeon has revealed he has been working seven days a week to make sure her can fulfil the requests of all of his clients.
Dr Ben Talei of the Beverly Hills Center for Plastic Surgery has claimed business is ‘booming’ now that actors have the time to book in to go under his knife and – crucially – recover without it being noticed or them having to skip work.
He said that when the Writers’ Guild of America (WGA) were discussing going on strike ‘maybe four months ago’ (they subsequently did in May), that was when actor started to prep and come in for consultations.
He also suggested it was higher profile ‘A-list and B-list’ names that he’d been doing work on, although, of course, as a medical professional he keeps his clients’ confidentially tightly under his hat.
‘It’s the A-list and B-list actors who I’d say are the more financially comfortable as well as the ones who are strained more for time – those are the ones who are running in to do it,’ Dr Talei shared with TMZ.
Dr Ben Talei claims to have been working even days a week to keep up with demand for plastic surgery now actors are on strike (Picture: WireImage)
The practitioner also explained how there were ‘contingency plans’ in place depending on if an actors’ strike went ahead or not.
‘The contingency plans on our consults a few months ago was if there’s no major strike and nothing happens, we’re just going to do a skin-tightening treatment.
‘If the strike happens and we think it’s going to last a few months, we do the facelift,’ he added.
Dr Talei also claimed that he had recently done procedures on two of his favourite sports stars and two of his favourite singers, as well as three producers and ‘five or six actors that I used to drool over as a kid’.
He said that ‘contingency plans’ were in place for many star clients, depending on if the Sag-Aftra strike went ahead or not (Picture: beverlyhillscenter.com)
He also revealed that he had treated an actor who is a member of the Church of Scientology, and requested that the operating room was ‘a certain way when you do my surgery, which Dr Talei politely refused, pointing out that as he works at a ‘very high’ level, ‘the last thing you want to do is introduce a variable’ or increase the chances of something going wrong.
‘Doesn’t matter who it is, what the situation is, I refuse to change because I have a pattern of how I do things and that’s what keeps me from messing up,’ he explained.
As both the WGA and Sag-Aftra strikes continue, shooting has paused in the UK too on major films like Deadpool 3, which stars Ryan Reynolds in the titular role, as well as John M. Chu’s screen adaptation of the stage musical Wicked with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo – which was just days away from completion.
Brad Pitt has also hit the brakes on his F1 blockbuster with Sir Lewis Hamilton, which was recently seen filming at Silverstone ahead of the British Grand Prix.
Actors Steve Buscemi, Brendan Fraser and Christian Slater were among many celebrities who attended a Sag-Aftra strike in New York’s Times Square this week. There is no suggestion by Dr Talei that they have undergone surgery of any kind (Picture: Lev Radin/Pacific Press/Shutterstock)
The actor and producer is said to ‘very much stand’ alongside his fellow actor union members, the PA news agency understands.
Many other stars have also been spotted showing their support, including an almost unrecognisable Jack Black, who rocked up with a sign to join the picket line outside Paramount Studios in LA, as well as Susan Sarandon and Julianna Margulies in New York.
Meanwhile, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has made a donation of reportedly over $1million (£778,000) to a charitable fund assisting those most affected by the work stoppage of the strikes.
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Actors were reportedly coming in for consultations four months ago, in preparation.
