Hurley facing union showdown

Hurley has apologised for her appearance in the advertisement

By Ann Busby, CNN.com Europe writer

LONDON, England -- Actress Liz Hurley is to be summoned before a disciplinary hearing of America's actors' union following her appearance in a perfume advertisement which broke a guild strike, union officials have told CNN.com.

A spokesman said the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) could decide to expel her over the breach, a move which, according to the union, would have serious implications for her professional future.

"Virtually all, if not all, Hollywood productions are SAG union productions," a spokesman for the striking actors told CNN.com.

"I don't believe that an actor who has been expelled from SAG would be able to work in Hollywood again."

Hurley has repeatedly apologised for filming the Estee Lauder commercial in July, saying she had no idea the union to which she belongs was in dispute with advertisers over pay. She has also donated $25,000 to SAG's strike relief fund.

But it became clear at the premiere of her new Hollywood film "Bedazzled" in Los Angeles that was not enough to quieten her critics.

Hurley was greeted by dozens of demonstrators shouting "scab" as she arrived at the cinema.

As the actress posed for the cameras, banners reading "Elizabeth Scabley, U Make Me Hurl!" and "Beauty Fades, Honor Doesn't" could be seen in the background.

Hurley herself appeared surprised, saying: "I find it really bizarre because all the SAG officials that I've spoken to fully acknowledge that I had no idea there was a strike and they've apologised to me for not letting me know there was a strike."

But that did not convince ordinary union members.

"Her excuse that she didn't know about it, it doesn't make any sense," said protester Jim Ohier. "I think she knew about it and thought she could get away with it."

A noisy protest greeted Hurley at the premiere of her latest film

And the strikers' spokesman agreed that Hurley's ignorance was difficult to understand.

"You'd have to ask her why she didn't know about the campaign. It's been very high profile and has been going on for nearly six months," he said.

The British actors' union Equity said its members have all been kept informed about the boycott and have been urged to co-operate, since the American union fully supported them during a similar dispute in Britain.

"We couldn't ask Liz Hurley for her backing, though, because she's not a member of ours. She was, she joined in 1985, but she left in 1998," said Equity's Martin Brown.

The strike -- over how actors should be paid for cable TV and Internet ads -- began in May and is still not resolved. A number of Hollywood stars have offered their support. Harrison Ford, Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, Bruce Willis and Eddie Murphy are among those who have given money to the strike fund.

Hurley has written a letter of apology to SAG, now published on its website, saying she feels badly let-down by Estee Lauder and its advertising agency, Bates Advertising.

"I just didn't know about the strike. Clearly Bates should have told me and I feel violated by them and I am furious that they did not have the decency to let me know of the strike after we worked together for years," she wrote.

"Of course, had I known about the strike, I would never have appeared in the commercial ... I did not deliberately cross the picket line. I feel that I have been victimised by those whom I relied upon."

Judy Torcello, director of corporate communications for the New York-based Bates Advertising company, said the SAG strike had been "very highly publicised" and it was difficult to imagine why any actress, actor or their agents had not heard about it.

"I can't speak about what Liz Hurley has said. Estee Lauder is a client of ours and she works for Estee Lauder. There is nothing to add to that," she said.

No-one from Estee Lauder was available for comment on Thursday.

Hurley, whose most famous film is "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery," is the former girlfriend of actor Hugh Grant, shooting to fame wearing a revealing Versace dress at the premiere of Grant's 1994 film "Four Weddings and a Funeral."

Hurley and Grant set up Simian Films and continue to work closely together, despite announcing earlier this year that they were splitting up.

The company produced "Extreme Measures," starring Gene Hackman, in 1996, and later "Mickey Blue-Eyes."

No date has been set for the SAG hearing, but it will be before the end of the year, the spokesman said.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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