Ryan Murphy's American Horror Story is one of the only major productions that hasn't budged amidst a months-long strike by The Writers Guild of America.
Last week, a picket line of WGA members and allies blocked the production of Murphy's show at Silvercup Studios in Long Island City, hoping to garner support from one of the industry's biggest productions.
Strike captain T Cooper expressed disappointment in Murphy's inactivity, given that he is a member of the guild himself.
"He’s a member and it just feels like keeping these things up and running is counterproductive to our overall mission," Cooper said, via The New York Times.
Deadline also reported that former WGA East strike captain Warren Leight was relieved of his duties after tweeting about shutting down the AHS set.
Leight alleged that members of Murphy's crew had stated they'd be "blackballed in Murphy-land" if they joined the strike. Murphy's legal team contacted the Writers Guild regarding the accusations, for which Leight has since apologized.
Like Murphy, Kim Kardashian also crossed picket lines, remaining on the set of AHS as an actor. "These are folks who could have tremendous impact," Cooper explained to Deadline.
Cooper noted that shutting down productions like American Horror Story would force studios to resume negotiations, hopefully sooner than later.
“We all want to get back to work, believe me,” Cooper said. “We would love to be doing what we’re supposed to be doing."
Before the strike, Cooper was an executive producer on The Blacklist, and his wife Allison Glock-Cooper is a writer as well. His family, like many others, have forgone financial stability for the strike.
Josh Gondelman, a leading member of WGA East, said a fair contract has yet to be presented to them.
"There’s an enormous amount of resolve to get a deal that is fair and that preserves writing for TV and film as a sustainable career," Gondelman told The Times. "That offer is just not on the table."