Explained: How Hollywood Actors' Strike Will Affect TV Shows And Movies

Hollywood is witnessing its first big shutdown in 63 years as thousands of film and television actors join writers who walked off the job 11 weeks ago over dwindling pay and the threat posed by artificial intelligence.

The walkout was announced by Screen Actors Guild, which represents some 160,000 performers, after it failed to reach a new labor agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers, which represents studios including Walt Disney Co. and Netflix Inc. The strike begins at midnight.

It is the first time that the two unions have been on strike simultaneously since 1960, when actor (and future US president) Ronald Reagan led the protests.