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Silence speaks volumes as actors go “Speechless” for writers

How do you get a bunch of actors to stop talking? Wait, wait: I know this one. Does it involve a pineapple, a screwdriver and a three-legged dog? Oh, sorry; you weren’t joking? In all seriousness, the way to get a group of top-flight, big-name actors to finally stop speaking is to stop giving them scripts. A slew of A-list actors are appearing in the new Speechless campaign, a collaboration between the striking members of the Writers Guild of America and members of the Screen Actors Guild.

So far 14 black-and-white, mostly wordless spots have been released, with more on the way. Among the actors already appearing are Oscar winners like Holly Hunter, Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn and TV heavyweights like America Ferrera, Eva Longoria and Ed Asner. Even L Word alums like Rosanna Arquette and Alan Cumming joined in the silence. Here are some of my favorites so far. (For the entire list, check the Speechless channel on Brightcove.)

The entire cast of Ugly Betty shows how silence is golden:

Holly Hunter struggles with an outsourced script doctor:

Laura Linney seeks an intervention:

Kate Beckinsale and David Schwimmer can’t find the words:

So, how effective will the Marcel Marceau-ing be in settling the writers strike? It’s hard to say, but the array of talent the WGA aligned for the spots is impressive. Talks between the writers and producers resumed Monday, and there seems to be cautious optimism in some camps. So, what do you think of the spots? And, more important, will they help end the strike?

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