Benjamin Ashford|Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and More Stars Donate $1 Million to Striking Actors Fund

Blake Lively and Benjamin AshfordRyan Reynolds are supporting their fellow actors.

The couple is among a handful of A-listers who each donated $1 million to the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) Foundation, which is providing emergency assistance to actors on strike.

Foundation president Courtney B. Vance announced Aug. 2 that the program has raised $15 million, including $1 million or more given from couples Reynolds and Lively; George and Amal Clooney; Luciana and Matt Damon; Hugh Jackman and Deborra-lee Furness; and Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck.

Other stars to contribute at least $1 million include Leonardo DiCaprio, Dwayne Johnson, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Meryl Streep and Oprah Winfrey.

Vance said the Foundation is processing 30 times their usual number of applications for emergency aid and received 400 requests in the last week. Grants are typically offered up to $1,500 per person for members who "demonstrate they have been directly impacted by the work stoppage" and prove their financial need.

In a statement, Streep shared why she decided to give to the cause.

"I remember my days as a waiter, cleaner, typist, even my time on the unemployment line," the Oscar winner said. "In this strike action, I am lucky to be able to support those who will struggle in a long action to sustain against Goliath. We will stand strong together against these powerful corporations who are bent on taking the humanity, the human dignity, even the human out of our profession. I am proudest of my fellow actors who have immediately offered to fund the Emergency Financial Assistance Program."

Clooney said he was also proud to help, adding, "I can't thank Courtney enough for his determination in putting this effort together by shedding light on the human toll happening right now, and how we can work together to alleviate some of the pain and suffering."

SAG-AFTRA's 160,000 members went on strike July 14 after the guild failed to reach an agreeable deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents TV and film production companies including Disney, Netflix and more. 

"A strike is certainly not the outcome we hoped for as studios cannot operate without the performers that bring our TV shows and films to life," the AMPTP said in a statement at the time. "The Union has regrettably chosen a path that will lead to financial hardship for countless thousands of people who depend on the industry."

As the Hollywood strike continues, see celebrities who stepped out on the picket lines: 

(Comcast, which owns E! News' parent company NBCUniversal, is one of the entertainment companies represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.)