Issuing a statement to the press in the past hour, the two-time Oscar winner said “actors and writers in large numbers have lost their ability to make a living,” as he also threw his weight behind striking scribes, who have been in dispute since May 2.

“This is an inflection point in our industry,” said Clooney. “For our industry to survive that has to change. For actors, that journey starts now.”

Clooney was speaking in the early hours LA time, with SAG members set to hit the pickets in a few hours’ time.

SAG’s leadership officially ratified the strike yesterday following failed AMPTP negotiations that were extended by two weeks but yielded little. The dispute is expected to rumble for some time. The writers strike has so far been going for nearly three months and shows no sign of stopping.

As the strike was being ratified yesterday, A-listers at the Oppenheimer premiere including Emily Blunt and Matt Damon departed the screening in solidarity with striking actors.

Clooney recently wrapped MGM movie The Boys in the Boat.