Drew Carey Speaks Out About Funding Writers Meals Amid Strike: “It Was the Right Thing to Do”

Drew Carey is opening up about the hefty investment he made by paying for striking writers meals at two Los Angeles-area restaurants in 2023.

In an appearance at the Writers Guild of America awards ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday night, the comedian addressed his decision to pay for WGA members’ meals at Bob’s Big Boy and Swingers over the course of the 148-day strike. The last time he paid for writers meals, the total bill came out to about $67,000, he stated. “But some of you decided, ‘Oh yeah, I’m going to get a shake and dessert,’ as it was way more this time,” he joked.

As the strike dragged on in 2023, he said, his accountant started to get nervous. “When the bills started piling up, my accountant called and was like, ‘Is there any way we can dial this back?'” Carey got on a three-way call with his publicist and accountant, he said, where he refused to change his position because he had made a commitment and “it was the right thing to do.” He added that he didn’t think he should get so much credit for doing the “right thing.”

As a way of making the point, Carey brought up a friend whose agent told her during the strike, “You’re going to lose your house over this.” She said in return, “Yeah, fine, I’ll lose my house.” Carey added, “Those are the real heroes of this whole strike.”

Carey continued, to thunderous applause, that “you writers — well not all of you, the Drew Carey Show writers — made me a fucking million. Everybody in this room makes some actor a million. And you deserve all the money you get.”

The Hollywood Reporter previously reported that Carey’s generosity likely cost him around $1 million over the course of the strike. And as the work stoppage was concluding in late September, Carey even encouraged writers to get in some last-minute meals on him: “Yoooo @WGAWest members!! 💔 Congrats! ❤️,” Carey tweeted Sept. 26, adding, “If the strike is officially over tomorrow you’ll have til midnight to have one last meal at Bob’s Big Boy or Swingers! GO CELEBRATE! Love you all!”

He added in a tweet in late September, once the strike had concluded, “Deeply appreciate all the love and thanks. It as [worth] every dime. But if you really want to thank someone for those meals, thank Bruce Helford and all the Drew Carey Show writers. They helped make me rich enough to afford it, No writers, no $. Simple as that.”