Insiders have spoken to Variety anonymously to reveal a variety of reasons why A-list stars including Meryl Streep, Jennifer Aniston and Leonardo DiCaprio have been absent among the the picket lines of the SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America strikes. The outlet notes that while Streep, DiCaprio and other Hollywood players including Jennifer Lawrence and Sandra Bullock have expressed support for the strikes, not one of them has been active in protests that began mid-July. “It’s not necessarily to our advantage for the people who are the most successful, wealthy and visible to be taking up space right now,” said one SAG-AFTRA member. “We already have a perception problem where people say, ‘These are just a bunch of rich actors.’ Those stars don’t work for scale pay; they don’t need the protection of a better contract. If Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston show up, they look like they’re crying poor.” Among the high-profile actors who have turned up include Rachel McAdams and Lupita Nyong’o, however Variety claimed it was more complicated for “mega-stars” including Denzel Washington, George Clooney and Julia Roberts.