Robert De Niro Condemns Trump's 'Abuse Of Power' In Passionate SAG Awards Speech
Robert De Niro made use of his Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award acceptance speech to do something he seems to love: Get political.
The actor was presented Sunday with the performers union’s top accolade at the 26th Annual SAG Awards because of his “extraordinary depth and ability,” according to a statement by Gabrielle Carteris, president of SAG-AFTRA.
“The characters he creates captivate our imaginations. From the smoldering inferno of young Vito Corleone to the raging bull Jake Lamotta and everybody’s grandpa Ben Whittaker, he continues to touch our hearts and open our minds to new and exciting worlds of understanding and emotion,” Carteris said.
After an introduction by Leonardo DiCaprio and a montage featuring his most iconic roles in films like “Taxi Driver” and “Goodfellas,” the star of 2019′s “The Irishman” addressed the art of acting and thanked SAG-AFTRA for “tirelessly fighting” for actors’ rights.
A perfect introduction from @LeoDiCaprio to honor Robert De Niro as tonight's Lifetime Achievement Award recipient #sagawards pic.twitter.com/UQnO40eQ6d
— TNT Drama (@tntdrama) January 20, 2020
De Niro added that those efforts are particularly important “these days when there’s so much hostility towards unions.”
“Political leaders who support unions are more likely to support the Affordable Care Act, equitable taxes, humane immigration regulation, a safe environment, a diverse citizenry, reproductive rights, sensible gun control, and fair wages and benefits,” said the actor. “We owe them our support, and we owe them our vote.”
Congratulations to Robert De Niro on a lifetime of excellence. From iconic characters, to quotable lines, to historic movies, De Niro is a true generational talent and we are looking forward to more greatness to come 🙌 #sagawards pic.twitter.com/z8NmBWxoat
— TNT Drama (@tntdrama) January 20, 2020
After acknowledging that many people don’t want to hear him talk about politics, De Niro expressed that “we’re in such a dire situation, so deeply concerning to me and to so many others” that he felt he had to say something.
“There’s right and there’s wrong and there’s common sense and there’s abuse of power. And as a citizen, I have as much right as anybody ― an actor, an athlete, a musician, anybody else ― to voice my opinion, and if I have a bigger voice because of my situation, I’m going to use it whenever I see a blatant abuse of power. And that’s all I’m going to say about that tonight,” he said.
De Niro went on to thank his family and colleagues and exited the stage.
While on the red carpet during the award pre-show, the 76-year-old was notably non-politically focused and said that he was “honored to get the award.”
“It’s that simple. To be honored by your peers ... I don’t even know what to say,” he said.
Related...
2020 SAG Awards Red Carpet: See All The Best Looks
Look How Grown Up The 'Stranger Things' Kids Look On The SAG Awards Red Carpet
'Parasite' Cast Gets Standing Ovation At SAG Awards, Bong Joon-ho Adorably Films All Of It
Brad Pitt Jokes About Difficult Marriages At SAGs, Camera Cuts To Jennifer Aniston
Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.