Cannes Jury Member Paul Laverty Rips Hollywood for Blacklisting Sarandon
Deadline • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Paul Laverty, a Cannes-winning screenwriter, criticized Hollywood for blacklisting actors Susan Sarandon, Javier Bardem, and Mark Ruffalo due to their pro-Gaza views during a Cannes Film Festival jury press conference.
- Laverty praised the festival's iconic Thelma & Louise poster despite criticism from a French gender-parity group regarding the low number of films by female directors in competition.
- He condemned Hollywood's treatment of artists speaking out against violence in Gaza, expressing solidarity with those blacklisted and calling Cannes an oasis of peace amid global turmoil.
- Susan Sarandon previously revealed she was fired by her agency and faced career obstacles in Hollywood because of her activism for a Gaza ceasefire.
- The Cannes jury, led by Park Chan-Wook, includes notable members such as Demi Moore, Ruth Negga, Chloe Zhao, and Stellan Skarsgard.