Movie Director Ridley Scott Weighs In On The GOP Tax Bill

Although the Trump political agenda seems very unpopular among vocal Hollywood celebrities, famed director Ridley Scott has a different take on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the official name of the GOP tax bill that President Trump signed into law on December 22.

Scott is currently promoting his new film, All the Money in the World, that premiered on Christmas Day and which required extensive reshoots after Christopher Plummer replaced Kevin Spacey in the role of billionaire J. Paul Getty at the last minute. The House of Cards star was cut from the film after sexual assault allegations emerged against him.

Ridley Scott is perhaps best known for helming the original Alien movie (and several follow-ups in the sci-fi franchise) as well as the original Blade Runner.

During an interview with the Denver Post, a reporter asked Scott about whether the Getty film can provide a teachable moment for contemporary America in connection with the class struggle and societal wealth. Scott responded by referencing how the GOP tax-cut legislation will lead to an uptick in the economy.

“Well, let’s take the tax bill. People say (Republicans) are doing it for the wealthy class. What they forget is if you get a clever, un-selfish business person — I don’t care if it’s a corner store or a big business — who’s suddenly saving 15 percent, they’ll put it back in this business. Then you’re going to get growth and therefore (people) will get employed. My concern is with the elderly, the infirm and the youth who need to have chances and shots for every level, and equality in education. But you have to use it. You have to get your (expletive) head down and use it.”

The GOP bill reduces the corporate tax rate from 35 to 21 percent and aims to encourage businesses to jump-start hiring in the U.S. and repatriate cash that is parked offshore.

When the reporter implied that Scott, 80, was likely the beneficiary of some government help early in his career, the director indicated that he was essentially broke when he came to Hollywood from the U.K. and that he worked his way up.

As alluded to above, although many media outlets and Trump foes characterized the GOP tax bill as helping just wealthy people and corporations, CBS News checked in with three households around the country and found that they all will save money in 2018. The liberal-leaning Tax Policy Center claims that 80 percent of individual taxpayers will receive a tax cut in 2018 based on the changes enacted in the tax law, with the average clocking in at about $2,100. Almost immediately after the GOP tax bill cleared both chambers in Congress, corporate America began handing out bonuses and raises, as well as vowing to expand operations in this country.

Separately, according to the Washington Times, Ridley Scott also took some heat for politically incorrect casting choices in a recent film.

“The man who gave us Alien, Blade Runner and Gladiator is keenly aware of the economics behind the industry. It explains his reaction to critics who claimed his 2015 biblical epic Exodus: Gods and Kings lacked diversity. He said he needed marquee names to make the movie happen.”

Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2003, Ridley Scott also directed Thelma & Louise, Hannibal, Black Hawk Down, American Gangster, and The Martian, among other feature films.