Industry Updates: Christopher Nolan and Sean Astin Are Newly Elected Presidents of the DGA and SAG-AFTRA -

By Luis Zonenberg

While there has been much political unrest these last few weeks, it seems Hollywood is intent on pushing forward amidst all the random chaos. Many labor unions such as the Directors Guild of America (DGA) have recently had a changing of the guard so to speak. Many of the unions in Hollywood have recently elected new presidents to represent them for the next few years and I feel it is imperative to discuss this here.

The DGA, for example, is a labor union composed of directors, assistant directors, unit production managers and other creative leads in the film and television industry. Originally founded as the Screen Directors Guild in 1936, the union today represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States to ensure they get the benefits and compensation they need for any project they work on. The Guild even hosts the annual DGA awards, honoring the best directors currently working in the industry.

Famed television director Lesli Linka Glatter, perhaps best known for her work on Mad Men and Homeland, served as the DGA President for the last four years. Now while there are no limits to how many times a director can be elected president of the DGA, it is usually a tradition that no one serves longer than two terms, and Glatter is no exception. On September 20, 2025, the DGA announced that Sir Christopher Nolan would succeed her as President of the Guild. Nolan, among a new board of directors, were chosen by 167 delegates, who represent over 19,500 union directors.

In a recent Deadline article, Nolan called the position, “one of the great honors of my career.” Nolan would go on to say, “Our industry is experiencing tremendous change, and I thank the Guild’s membership for entrusting me with this responsibility. I also want to thank President Glatter for her leadership over the past four years. I look forward to collaborating with her and the newly elected board to achieve important creative and economic protections for our members.”

Not too long before this tremendous win, the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) also appointed a new President to represent them. On September 12, 2025, the Guild announced that famed Lord of the Rings actor Sean Astin would succeed Fran Drescher as the newly appointed President of the Guild. Astin won 79% of the vote, defeating his opponent Chuck Slavin while Michelle Hurd was elected as the union’s secretary-treasurer.

Astin was honored, saying, “Now is a time for optimism and creativity. I am thrilled that the members have allowed me to lead our storied organization out of this challenging moment and into a future defined by confidence, progress and fierce advocacy.”

Astin follows in the footsteps of his mother, Patty Duke, who served as President from 1985 to 1988. He recognized this, adding, “I am the first second-generation president of our union. My mother… modeled for me the awesome responsibility of caring for every member of our union. I’m excited to get to work.”

Astin hopes to continue his family legacy as the newly elected President of SAG-AFTRA, clearly vying for a change that leads to more opportunities for creativity in the industry. It seems Nolan shares the same sentiments, hoping to bring a similar change in his time as the newly appointed President of the DGA. Hopefully we can see more opportunities open up for both directors and actors, with them securing the benefits they need while also ushering in a new rush of creativity in film and television as well.