GEORGE CLOONEY - CLOONEY DONATES TO ACTORS FUND

George Clooney has donated $25,000 (£12,270) to the Actors Fund, with his donation earmarked to help workers who have been hit hard by the writers' strike.

The Ocean's Thirteen star - known for his humanitarian work in Darfur - has said he will make several donations to the fund and urged his fellow actors to do the same.

With members of the Writers' Guild of America (WGA) currently on strike due to a dispute with studios regarding royalty payments, production has halted on several movies, leaving many actors desperate for work.

Clooney explained that he chose to make his donation to the 125-year-old fund as applicants for financial relief are not required to belong to a union to eligible for support.

"To people like myself, the strike is a forced vacation, but with the rhetoric high, and two other strikes looming, there is the fear that a prolonged strike can destroy people who make a living in this industry," Clooney told Daily Variety.

"My hope is that people who can afford it will take responsibility for this and help out. This felt like the right place, because the Actors Fund is the most inclusive."

He added: "It helps writers, and everyone from craft services workers to agency assistants who have been laid off."

Topical comedy shows such as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno have been temporarily postponed as a result of the first strike of its kind since 1988.