Actors and actresses in America are represented by a labor union called the Screen Actors Guild, or SAG for short. SAG boasts over 120,000 members that include TV actors, movie actors and voice actors. There are also many performers from countries around the world who are members. The mission statement of the Actor's Guild states that they work to make sure that actors and actresses are given fair pay and benefits, and that their working conditions are acceptable. SAG also works to enforce the payment of royalties and helps to secure employment opportunities for its members.

The SAG associates itself with the AAAA (the Associated Actors and Artistes of America and the AFL-CIO). Film productions, or motion pictures, fall under the sole jurisdiction of SAG. TV drama, film drama, internet, radio, and all other media are shared with another union called AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists). SAG has many offices across the United States and around the world. Its main office is appropriately located in Hollywood, CA.

There was a time, before the existence of the Screen Actors Guild, when Hollywood took advantage of its movie and TV actors and actresses. They would require them to work long hours and would not allow breaks during those times. The contracts offered to those performers were abusive at best. Performers were forced to take long-term contracts that the studio could renew at will, with no approval from the performer. The contracts were famous for being very controlling of the performer's personal and professional life, and most performers were unable to cancel the contract because of certain wording that the studios had strategically placed in the contract.

The Masquers Club was the original name of the Screen Actors Guild. It was started in 1925 by eight performers who decided to stand up to the studios in Hollywood and fight for the rights of performers, both under contract and not. In 1933, the Masquers Club turned into SAG and joined forces with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to provide negotiation services between the Hollywood Studios and the contracted performers, as well as with labor disputes. The passage of the National Labor Relations Act in 1937 was the beginning of a direct working relationship between SAG and the producers in Hollywood. This was a great achievement for movie actors and all of those in the industry.

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