With everything going on in the world of politics right now, it’s no surprise that 2017 is already shaping up to be the year of the political speech.
Meryl Streep caused divide with hers at the Golden Globes, and today’s Screen Actors Guild Awards saw many more high profile Hollywood stars pick up the mantle.
Fresh from her appearance at the Women’s March last weekend, Veep actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus used her best actress in a comedy acceptance speech to direct a personal message to Donald Trump and his latest immigration ban.
Listen: Should Hollywood stars be getting political in their speeches? Post continues after audio.
“I want you all to know that I am a daughter of an immigrant,” she began.
“My father fled religious persecution in Nazi occupied France and I’m an American patriot, and I love this country. And because I love this country, I am horrified by its blemishes and this immigrant ban is a blemish and it is un-American.”
Image: Getty
She then went on to quote a statement released earlier by the SAG's sister guild WGA which she was in "complete agreeance" with.
"And that he was ok. And accept him. And I hope that we do a better job of that."
He then went on to encourage everyone to identify differences and embrace them, rather than fight them.
"When we kind of get caught up in the minutiae, the details that make us all different, I think there's two ways of seeing that," he said. (Post continues after gallery.)
2017 SAG Awards Red Carpet
"There's the opportunity to see the texture of that person, the characteristics that make them unique. And then there's the opportunity to go to war about it. When you see that that person is different from me and I don't like you, so let's battle.
"My mother is an ordained minister. I'm a Muslim. She didn't do back flips when I called her to tell her I converted 17 years ago. But I tell you now, we put things to the side and I'm able to see her, she's able to see me. We love each other, the love has grown and that stuff is minutiae, it's not that important."
Hear, hear.
Top Comments
For direct analysis I'd much prefer to listen to the straight talk (which those of us who don't breathe in the rarefied air of so called celebrities can easily relate to) of Ross Cameron, Mark Latham and Rowan Dean on 'Outsiders' on Sky on Sunday morning.
Yesterday's show was outstanding. Quite a few Aussie so called celebs were mentioned and shown to be out of touch with reality as well. Highly recommend it.
I am also heartened by the comments from ordinary Aussies on the feed news section of Microsoft Edge.
Politics has no place at the awards. Actors should just stick to acting.