Stranger Things star David Harbour’s fiery SAG Awards speech condemning Trump.
Watch Stranger Things star deliver the most explosive moment of the SAG Awards, raisingcrowd to their feet after show’s surprise win.
Stranger Things took the stage at the SAG Awards Sunday night scooping the prize for Outstanding Performance for an Ensemble in a Drama Series, beating the likes of Game of Thrones, Westworld, The Crown and Downton Abbey. There they elected star David Harbour (a.k.a. Chief Jim Hopper) to speak for them. Harbour’s speech was filled with some of the most passionate, political rhetoric of an already political night.
Harbour brought the crowd to their feet after the Netflix show’s surprise win, as Harbour proclaimed:
“This award from you who take your craft seriously and earnestly believe, like me, that great acting can change the world, is a call to arms from the great men and women to go deeper and through our art battle fear, self-centerdness, and exclusivity of our predominantly narcissistic culture and through our craft to develop a more empathetic and understanding society.”
Star David Harbour barnstorming speech was worthy of an award all on its own and, taking notes from Mery Streep’s Golden Globes speech (see below), criticized President Trump’s recent executive actions without ever even mentioning the POTUS by name.
Read Harbour’s full speech:
“I would just like to say that in light of all that’s going on in the world today, it’s difficult to celebrate the already celebrated Stranger Things, but this award from you, who take your craft seriously and earnestly believe, like me, that great acting can change the world, is a call to arms from our fellow craftsmen and women to go deeper, and through our art to battle against fear, self-centeredness and exclusivity of our predominantly narcissistic culture, and through our craft to cultivate a more empathetic and understanding society by revealing intimate truths that serve as a forceful reminder to folks that when they feel broken and afraid and tired, they are not alone.
We are united in that we are all human beings and we are all together on this horrible, painful, joyous, exciting and mysterious ride that is being alive. Now, as we act in the continuing narrative of Stranger Things, we 1983 Midwesterners will repel bullies; we will shelter freaks and outcasts, those who have no home; we will get past the lies; we will hunt monsters; and when we are lost amidst the hypocrisy and casual violence of certain individuals and institutions, we will — as per Chief Jim Hopper — punch some people in the face when they seek to destroy the meek, the disenfranchised and the marginalized, and we will do it all with soul, with heart and with joy. We thank you for this responsibility.”
