Donald Trump's election looms over Governors Awards
LOS ANGELES — Liberal Hollywood took a blow Tuesday with the stunning election of Republican Donald Trump as president. But the Hollywood community that largely supported Hillary Clinton gathered and pledged to stick together at Saturday's eighth annual Governors Awards.
Discussion of President-elect Trump dominated the red carpet for the ceremony, which bestowed honorary Oscars on actor Jackie Chan, film editor Anne V. Coates, casting director Lynn Stalmaster and documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman.
Hamilton creator and Moana songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda wore a safety pin on his tuxedo lapel as he headed into the show, a growing symbol of support for refugees and migrants.
"There are a lot of people who do not feel safe because of the outcome of this election. They were vilified by that (Trump) campaign," Miranda said. "This is just a symbol to say, if you're talking to me, you're safe. That's important, now more than ever."
Emma Stone, star of the upcoming awards contender La La Land, said it was natural that the election results would dominate the ceremony.
"That just is, and it should overshadow this. It’s incredibly important," said Stone, adding that the red carpet showed solidarity. "We need to band together, and we need to speak up and connect with each other. It’s been so divisive. And now is the time to come together. If we’re all talking about this, that’s a great thing."
The awards ceremony itself was unusually non-political, with Don Cheadle's call for "empathy" as he introduced Wiseman, the closest there was to a post-election statement.
Wiseman, 86, didn't mention politics in his acceptance speech but ripped into Trump on the red carpet before receiving his award. He talked about the need for documentarians to focus on today's culture, saying it was "terribly important."
"When a sexist, racist, misogynist, nationalist man, who is probably ignorant of most aspects of domestic policies and foreign affairs, becomes president — when a man is willing to trample on civil rights and the basic freedoms of American society is the president-elect — you don’t have to be a genius to figure out that the country is in danger," he said.
Hong Kong-born Chan was the rare actor who downplayed politics during his carpet walk. When asked which was more talked about in China, he acknowledged that his honorary Oscar might be bigger news there than the U.S. election.
"Everybody was saying yeah, yeah, yeah — I have 1.4 billion people excited for me," said Chan. "The whole Chinese community is watching me."
Chan urged Americans to give Trump "a chance. He’s a business guy."
La La Land director Damien Chazelle said the event Saturday was an important mental step up for him personally after the election.
"It was a weird week. Each day, I feel like I have been emerging step by step," said Chazelle. "Now here, surrounded by fellow artists and filmmakers, it reminds me that this is the best way to stay hopeful, to keep making stuff and not let anything slow us down. It might be naively hopeful, but that’s the thought I am trying to keep in my head."