Kurt Russell Defends Director James Gunn, ‘We’re Getting Too Sensitive’
Legendary Hollywood actor Kurt Russell has spoken out in defense of director James Gunn after he was fired over a slew of offensive tweets.
In an interview with Variety, Russell defended Gunn by stating that “It’s sad. But it’s a part of our fabric now, and I get it. But I do think we’re getting a little too sensitive on maybe some of the wrong people.” Russell previously worked with Gunn on Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 where he played the film’s villainous Ego the Living Planet.
“You have to realize that when you are in that world as a comedian, a writer, whatever you’re always stretching the boundaries and trying to find something which lead him to something that the world loves, which is ‘Guardians of the Galaxy,'” Russell said. “He has a wonderful heart and a wonderful mind. I hope he is forgiven.”
Since Gunn’s firing, several petitions have emerged to reinstate the director. One of the several petitions included an open letter from the cast of Guardians of the Galaxy which asked Disney to reinstate the director. The cast of which includes actors such as Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, and Zoe Saldana. However, it seems unlikely that the company will reinstate the director.
Last month, director James Gunn was fired from the film franchise after a series of offensive tweets were unearthed on his Twitter. Many of the tweets joked about sensitive topics such as rape and pedophilia. Gunn has since issued an apology for the tweets and expressed his understanding of Disney terminating his position.
The decision to fire Gunn is an example of the “zero tolerance” climate that is taking place in Hollywood at the moment. It began earlier this year when Harvey Weinstein was exposed for his sexual assault against numerous women. Since then, several actors and directors in Hollywood have been accused and had their careers toppled after allegations ensued. Actors such as Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K., and Dustin Hoffman have all seen their careers come to a halt.
Gunn wasn’t the first to be fired from Disney over tweets. Disney, which owns cable network ABC, recently fired actress Roseanne Barr from her hit TV show Roseanne after she tweeted racist remarks about former Obama aide Valerie Jarrett.
Hollywood, however, has seen its share of redemption stories too. Talk show host Chris Hardwick, who was recently fired from his AMC show Talking Dead, has been welcomed back by the network after they found the sexual assault allegations against him to be false.
You can see Kurt Russell in the Emmy-nominated Netflix original Wild, Wild Country.
