Leonardo DiCaprio voices his support for Hollywood writers

Leonardo DiCaprio on Friday voiced his support for the film and television writers.

His statement came after striking Hollywood actors the writers on picket lines for the first time in 63 years on Friday.

"I stand in solidarity with my Guild," he wrote while taking to Instagram.

The protesters are calling for higher streaming-era pay and curbs on use of artificial intelligence.

The twin strikes will add to the economic damage from the writers' walkout that started on May 2, increasing the pressures facing the multibillion-dollar media industry as it struggles with seismic changes to its business.

In New York City and Los Angeles, actors marched outside the offices of Netflix Inc (NFLX.O), Paramount Global (PARA.O) and other companies, voicing demands for higher compensation for working-class actors and other gains.

"We're in an old contract for a new type of business and it’s just not working for most people," actor Susan Sarandon said outside Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O) offices in New York.

"The corporate greed that the studios have shown has made it very difficult for people to have lives," she said.

Although the SAG-AFTRA ranks include the most famous, and wealthiest, Hollywood movies stars, the picket lines on Friday were filled with less familiar faces that make up the majority of the union's 160,000 members.

"Most of us are middle class actors and writers, and we just want to be able to do the things that everyone else has in life and own homes and have families and pay for our lives," actor Caitlyn Knisely said outside the palm tree-lined Paramount Pictures lot in Los Angeles.