Wendy’s Thomas Breaking With SAG

Dave Thomas, founder and pitchman of Wendy’s restaurants, is breaking ranks with striking commercial actors. Thomas, 68, who has starred in many of his company’s ads, plans to film a nonunion commercial for the chain’s spicy chicken sandwich campaign. Last month, Thomas said that he would not film commercials during the strike by the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. But Thomas’ concerns as a corporate director ultimately outweighed his loyalty as a guild member, said a spokesman for the Dublin, Ohio-based Wendy’s International Inc. A guild spokeswoman called Thomas’ change of heart “a big disappointment. He had said he would stand by his union.” Wendy’s had been running commercials filmed before the strike started May 1.