SAG’s brightest actors will do their best to remind us of their existence.

Celebrities

TO Merle Ginsberg

“Maestro,” the highly anticipated Leonard Bernstein biopic starring Bradley Cooper, has Oscar bait written all over it.

It’s said to be a passion project for Cooper, who reportedly won the rights from Jake Gyllenhaal, who had his own project about the legendary American composer in the works.

The Oscar-nominated actor not only stars in the film alongside Carey Mulligan, but also directed it, with Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese among the producers.

“Maestro” will be released in theaters in late November and on Netflix in late December, a release schedule perfectly timed for awards season.

There’s just one problem.

Due to the SAG-AFTRA strike that began on July 14, Cooper is unable to promote the upcoming film.

But in an incredibly convenient move, the 48-year-old actor is reportedly in the early stages of a new romance with 28-year-old supermodel Gigi Hadid.

While the actors’ strike drags on and prevents movie stars from participating in traditional press such as talk shows and magazine interviews, A-listers are still remaining in the public eye – and in the minds of Emmy and Oscar voters – in less traditional ways.

This includes walking down every red carpet they can without being a scab, attending major sporting events and concerts, and of course, hanging out photogenic on the picket lines.

“Actors need to remind (Oscar and Emmy) voters that they matter (and remind) casting agents that they have excellent social credentials,” a veteran celebrity publicist told The Post.

Oscar nominations are months away, but Barbie star Simu Liu can’t let the world forget that he’s good enough to deserve a supporting actor nod.

Earlier this week, Liu attended the premiere of Taylor Swift: The Tour of Eras in Los Angeles.

In addition to posing for photos on the red carpet with girlfriend Allison Hsu, he shared information about the party on Instagram with his 3.2 million followers.

Meanwhile, the leaders of the Emmy Awards – the television nominations were announced just days before the strike began, and the ceremony will take place in January – have been actively picketing for months.

Jeremy Allen White (Bear), Melanie Lynskey (The Last of Us), Nick Offerman (also in The Last of Us), Alan Ruck (Legacy) and Jennifer Coolidge (White Lotus) all held signs with his brothers in the trade union. Of course, they sincerely express solidarity with their fellow actors, but they also, intentionally or not, courting peers who vote.

“They hang out for the day, posing for photos,” one SAG public relations employee told The Post. “That’s why they came – to be memes.”

The private club manager notes that appearing at the vigil is a good way for celebrities to show off their photos without appearing to be having too much fun during a serious time.

“Stars are now afraid to look glamorous and have too much fun,” the manager told The Post.

But many celebrities don’t hesitate to pretend they’re having fun.

In recent months, the actors have been enthusiastically attending big holidays and events, providing them with convenient photo opportunities.

In August, Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner topped each other at the US Open.

Some saw it as youthful love and passion for tennis, but others suspected it was also a ploy by Chalamet to secretly promote Wonka, which was released in December.

Meanwhile, Jenner has a new concealer that only went on sale at the end of September.

In late August, Emmy nominee Jessica Chastain for George & Tammy posted enthusiastically on Instagram after attending Swift’s concert in Mexico City and meeting the singer backstage.

When Swift swept through Los Angeles a few weeks earlier, her six nights at SoFi Stadium featured Who’s Who regulars Sarah Paulson, Lupita Nyong’o, Brie Larson, Emma Stone and more. A similar galaxy of stars, including Sterling K. Brown, Issa Rae, and Quinta Brunson, appeared at Beyoncé’s show in Los Angeles in early September.

The fall fashion shows in New York, Milan and especially Paris were also filled with even more celebrities than usual.

The Louis Vuitton show alone included Zendaya, Cate Blanchett, Ana de Armas, Regina King, Saoirse Ronan, Alicia Vikander, Phoebe Dynevor, Hannah Einbinder and Chloë Grace Moretz.

The Dior show was also very colorful with appearances from Charlize Theron, Jennifer Lawrence, Anya Taylor-Joy, Robert Pattinson, Rachel Zegler and Emmy-nominated gal Jenna Ortega.

At the Gucci Ancora show in Milan, Julia Garner, Paul Mescal, Jessica Chastain, Elizabeth Stewart and several pairs of chic sunglasses made up a very glamorous front row.

“Fashion shows are a great way for stars to make themselves known,” an anonymous designer told The Post. “They do their hair and makeup backstage and dress in fancy new clothes.”

“That’s millions in free branding/advertising,” added a spokesperson for Kering brands, which include Gucci, Balenciaga and Saint Laurent. “Believe me, celebrities in designer clothes attract more press than fashion shows.”

Even small events can contribute to effective promotional activities.

Earlier this week, Jamie Foxx attended his daughter Anelise Bishop’s 15th birthday party, bringing two comically huge Gucci shopping bags are the best thing to attract the paparazzi.

No matter what they’re doing, many stars are using social media more than ever.

“Celebrities feel obligated to post; their followers expect it,” the celebrity social media consultant told The Post. “Everyone needs a distraction right now.”

Zendaya and her boyfriend Tom Holland engaged in perhaps their cutest social media interaction since the hot duo visited an animal rescue center in London earlier this month, cuddled with some puppies and got some Instagram content.

Some actors are looking for other sources of income.

Web service Cameo, which uses people of all levels of fame to sell themselves for video messages, has seen a recent resurgence, with business doubling since the strike began.

Even SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher is on the site, offering messages for as little as $20.

It turns out she’s earning zero salary from SAG and “only scattered leftovers from ‘The Nanny,'” she told New York Magazine. “I only make money if the show is sold in a new store.”

Public relations firms also lack clients who cannot take advantage of many of their services. Most have had to lay off staff, and some agency owners have stopped taking salaries to stay afloat.

Stylists and “glam squads”—teams of hair and makeup artists—are bleeding out as stars make fewer and fewer major traditional advertising appearances.

“It was difficult for me, and I think a lot of stylists, to take a break from work so soon after the pandemic,” said celebrity stylist Ilaria Urbinati, whose clients have included Ryan Reynolds, Rami Malek, The Rock and Chris Evans. “Most of us were unable to do this. I was lucky to have corporate clients like Jaguar keep me busy.”

As the strike drags on, people behind the scenes grumble about how it’s affecting Hollywood’s ancillary industries.

“They’ll get better deals,” says the event planner when choosing famous actors. “What about the rest of us?”