Central Casting to HBO actors: Drop your pants

Sept. 30, 2015 3 PM PT

HBO’s “Westworld” doesn’t debut until 2016, but already it’s making headlines.

The science-fiction series will delve into the seedier complications of artificial consciousness and, apparently, plans to do that with a lot of naked extras in the background.

An undetermined number of background players were given a disclosure and consent form by Central Casting that informed the actors that their role would require participation in graphic sexual situations. Among them are genital-related actions, the least of which included paint, the strangest of which included the phrase “table-like shape.” The list then concludes with a catch-all “and other assorted acts the Project may require.”

SAG-AFTRA, the labor union representing more than 160,000 film and TV professionals, seemed concerned enough by the consent form foisted upon the extras that it posted a notice Tuesday addressing the required permission and informing its members that “to the extent it conflicts with the SAG-AFTRA Television Agreement, it is unenforceable.”

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The union stated it would have a representative on set Wednesday for any members who had questions.

Some union members may not comprehend that the SAG-AFTRA Agreement ensures that though they’ve signed a consent form, consent to appear in scenes requiring nudity or sex acts can be withdrawn at any time, so long as the scenes have not already been shot.

The union notice was prompted by complaints by SAG-AFTRA extras uncomfortable with the consent form requirement on the “Westworld” set. What’s unclear is whether “Westworld” is acting outside the norm in making extras sign the consent form.

HBO is no stranger to the depiction of explicit content, with the most recent season of “True Detective” featuring an orgy, and recent Emmy winner “Game of Thrones” regularly setting scenes in brothels (to say nothing of the show’s expansive nudity and violence) so it may come as no surprise that the network is disavowing any knowledge of the consent form.

In a statement released Wednesday afternoon the network stated, “The document that the background actors were given was created by an outside extras casting vendor. It was not requested, written or approved by HBO, Warner Bros. Television, or the producers, and contains situations that we do not require of any actor. We are rectifying immediately the discrepancies in this vendor’s document with our actual on-set practices, which provide a professional and comfortable working environment for all performers.”

However, a SAG-AFTRA representative, in response to HBO’s statement, told The Times, “SAG-AFTRA sent the consent form to HBO yesterday afternoon and requested that the document be changed to more accurately reflect the contractual provisions. HBO had every opportunity to rectify this situation and it was only after their direct refusal to remedy this that we posted the notice on our website. The Union is very pleased to hear that HBO is doing the right thing now but it is disappointing that we had to take such public measures to ensure compliance with our contracts and protect our background actors.”

The SAG-AFTRA representative also stressed, “It’s important that performers understand their rights, especially in circumstances like these that pose a high risk of exploitation. Employers should not be requiring performers to sign consent forms that do not accurately describe their rights under the collective bargaining agreement.”

Times staff writer Richard Verrier contributed to this report.

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