It’s been more than 25 years since actor and activist James Cromwell played one of his most indelible roles, cute farmer Arthur Huggett in Babe, but he’s been an animal friend and advocate for even longer.
During the Friday night’s 23rd Annual Mercy Animal Stage — dedicated to preventing cruelty to farmed animals and advocating compassionate food choices — Cromwell was awarded the organization’s Award of Hope for his unwavering commitment to fur and feather issues, a dedication that ended up being much more. Handcuffs as a result of his emotional protests. He was honored with a number of additional honorees: author and content creator Joan El Molinaro, aka a Korean vegan, and influential vegan chef Babette Davis.
“[My arrest record] “It really isn’t such a big deal,” Cromwell said. diverse With a chuckle as he arrives at the ceremony at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, saying his experiences in confinement and photo ops are worth raising awareness and challenging needlessly cruel institutions, often in coordination with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
We’ve been arrested several times and that seems to make a difference. “It wouldn’t be fun if it wasn’t,” added the 82-year-old Oscar nominee. “And there is progress being made, which is in contrast to the despair and sadness you feel about what you often see around us, which is unconsciousness, cruelty and abuse.”
Cromwell raised his hand to make his favor when pressured by the authorities. “This is the club: beautiful white skin,” he explained, noting that he believes his whiteness has proven to be a shield against excessive treatment upon arrest, and he rarely faces any threat of violence — but no Start.
“One of the first times we did, the cops, they were angry with us because there was a policeman’s funeral at the same time and they thought we set it on purpose,” he revealed. “So when he put the handcuffs on me, he really clamped them down, and then he put me on the plastic seat in the back and your hands were [behind you] And there’s no room for my knees so you’re pushed on the seat back and handcuffed, it hurts like my son-of-a-bitch! “
But Cromwell doesn’t mind risking a little pain: Earlier this year, he stuck his hand on a Starbucks counter in Manhattan to protest the high cost of extra coffee mega fees for plant-based milk.
“It wasn’t painful at all—it was as simple as a piece of cake: just sprinkle it down, put my hand in it,” he shrugged. “Acetone probably isn’t the best thing to put on your skin…it took about 10 minutes to come off.”
He added, “The really weird thing about it was that I wasn’t just glued and sat at the table, I was on top of my voice – not screaming, but louder to explain why we were doing this.” . “People came, except for one moment, no one looked at me or said, ‘Oh, that’s a famous guy. Or what does he do? What’s against it? It just shows you how docile and unimaginative you are and you always want to think, ‘My little cocoon protects me from anything, so I won’t take my nose out because I might cut it.’ And that’s a shame.”
Meanwhile, when he’s not under arrest, Cromwell is still happy to appear on HBO’s “Succession” periodically in his Emmy-nominated role as Roy’s savage Uncle Ewan.
“I would like to do more,” he said, “because I think the show – personally, my opinion – needs to be balanced from another point of view to be effective.” “But I am mostly pleased with the man and what he represents… I told him J. Kim Murphy Jesse [Armstrong]I can’t be arrogant. He has principles. Yes, it is harsh. Yes, it is part of the family. Yes, it is a franchisee. But he has a moral compass, which no one seems to own or care about. And i appreciate that “.
[ad_2]
