“The Salesman” Star to Boycott Oscars in Protest of Trump’s Visa Ban
Actress Taraneh Alidoosti, Iranian star of “The Salesman,” will not be attending this year’s Oscars. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Alidoosti announced via Twitter that she will boycott the awards ceremony in protest of Donald Trump’s visa ban, which targets the citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
In her tweet below, Alidoosti says, “Trump’s visa ban for Iranians is racist. Whether this will include a cultural event or not, I won’t attend the #AcademyAwards 2017 in protest.”
We commend Alidoosti for standing up for her country and the other affected nations, and for calling out Trump’s bigotry. It takes a lot of courage to take any sort of public political stand, especially on Twitter, but the actress is using the power she has to draw attention to the racist, shameful policy.
No word yet on whether “The Salesman” director Asghar Farhadi (“A Separation,” “The Past”) or co-star Shahab Hosseini will join Alidoosti in her boycott.
Alidoosti’s previous work includes Farhadi’s “About Elly,” “Shahrzad,” “The Wedlock,” “Absolute Rest,” and “Beautiful City.” “The Salesman” is an Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film.
The Academy Awards will take place February 26.
