Hollywood stars have made their feelings known about President Trump’s controversial Muslim ban as the Screen Actors Guild Awards turned into a political protest Sunday night.
Actor Ashton Kutcher opened the show at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles by welcoming “everyone in airports who belong in his America.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
“You are a part of the fabric of who we are and we love you and welcome you,” he said.
British actor Dev Patel branded Trump’s executive order “horrible” and “divisive” as he arrived on the red carpet.
The Slumdog Millionaire actor said he found it “utterly devastating” that the U.S. President has imposed a travel ban on nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries.
He told the SAG Awards’ official red carpet live stream:
“I just flew in from India a day ago. When I heard the news it was utterly devastating. The first thing that came into my head was the children who arrive on these shores with hope in their hearts. It’s horrible. It’s divisive. I hope something changes and something can be done because it really is terrible.”
Actor Simon Helberg and his wife arrived with a firm message for the U.S. President.
The Big Bang Theory star held a placard which read “Refugees welcome,” while Jocelyn Towne had “Let Them In” written across her chest.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus has branded the ban “un-American” as she won the first 2017 SAG Award. The star of HBO’s Veep was named best actress in a comedy series and took aim at President Donald Trump.
On stage, she said: “I’m the daughter of an immigrant. My father fled religious persecution in Nazi-occupied France. I’m an American patriot and I love this country. This immigration ban is a blemish and it’s un-American.”
British actor Riz Ahmed urged people to “make your voices heard” and revealed he knew people hit by the U.S. travel ban, which affects nationals from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
He told the SAG live stream, “Now is not a time for escapism. If people care about the future of this country and the world … it’s time to make your voices heard.”
Ahmed, 34, also said he had launched a campaign to help young Syrian refugees.
Singer John Legend also criticized President Trump’s refugee ban.
He said, “Everything our government does is being done in our name.”
“I believe our country should be open and inclusive, particularly for refugees fleeing war-torn areas. They are fleeing terrorism, they are fleeing war, they are fleeing genocide,” said Legend.
Orange Is The New Black won best performance by an ensemble cast in a comedy series, which is the third year in a row the Netflix series has won the award.
On stage, lead star Taylor Schilling said the cast represented a “diverse group of people” and “generations of families who have found a better life here.”
“What unites us is stronger than the forces that seek to divide us,” she said.
More: Breaking: The Full List of Winners From the 2017 SAG Awards | Winona Ryder Experiences Every Emotion While Accepting Stranger Things SAG Award | Harold & Kumar Star Kal Penn Raises $300k In Response To Racist Internet Troll
[H/T Mirror]
