Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar Expelled from WGA for Writing ‘The Sympathizer’ During 2023 Strike

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) announced on Friday that it has expelled two members, Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar, for working on their HBO miniseries “The Sympathizer” during the 2023 writers’ strike.

The series, based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s 2015 novel, aired in 2024 and starred Hoa Xuande and Robert Downey Jr. According to the WGA, neither Park nor McKellar appealed their expulsions.

In addition to these expulsions, the WGA revealed that writer Anthony Cipriano has been suspended until May 1, 2026, for his work on “The Last Breath,” formerly called “Untitled True Story Haunting, Thriller Project.” Cipriano also received a public censure and a lifetime ban from serving as a strike captain.

Park Chan-wook, 61, is a well-known South Korean writer and director, famous for films like “Oldboy” (2003) and “The Handmaiden” (2016). His next film, “No Other Choice,” will premiere at the Venice Film Festival in August. Don McKellar is a Canadian actor and filmmaker known for writing, directing, and starring in “Last Night” (1998). He also shares screenplay credits on “No Other Choice” alongside Park and others.

The WGA had previously announced disciplinary actions against seven writers for alleged violations during the 2023 strike. Four of those writers went public after choosing to appeal, while the other three remained anonymous until the latest announcement. The WGA leadership explained in a memo to members that the decision was made to disclose these disciplines publicly.

In earlier decisions, the WGA membership narrowly upheld the expulsions of Roma Roth and Edward Drake and approved the suspension of Julie Bush. However, a public censure against Tim Doyle was overturned. Doyle had been accused of improper conduct after making an ill-judged joke in a private Facebook group.

The WGA did not give specific details about the violations committed by Park, McKellar, and Cipriano. In their memo, the guild thanked volunteers on the Strike Rules Compliance Committee, saying, “They investigated dozens of allegations of violations and determined whether there was sufficient evidence to send cases on to the Board for further action.” The board and officers also expressed gratitude to the members of trial committees, who reviewed testimony and recommended disciplinary actions.

“All of these members volunteered their time for the delicate but necessary task of holding writers accountable to fulfill their obligations to their fellow members under the Strike Rules, Working Rules and WGAW Constitution,” the WGA said.

This move shows how seriously the Writers Guild is treating strike violations, emphasizing the importance of solidarity during labor actions.

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