As the Oscars season draws ever closer, more and more celebrities are using their popularity to speak out against the Trump administration, most notably its mandated ICE raids. Among these celebrities, however, Giancarlo Esposito stands out for not mincing his words and directly calling to stand up against ICE. The Breaking Bad villain even likens the current political situation to a “civil war,” hence the call for a revolution.
Speaking at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, Esposito said the Trump administration’s immigration policies and recent ICE actions in Minneapolis have created what he called a volatile national mood. “This is time for a revolution — and they don’t even know that’s what they’re starting,” the 67-year-old actor said while promoting his new crime thriller, The Only Living Pickpocket in New York. “We have to stand up to it. They can’t take us all down,” in an interview with Variety.
Esposito went on to argue that powerful elites were stoking unrest, warning of “a feeling of civil war in the streets” and adding, “We will not be ICE’d out. This is not going to happen.” Esposito is also best known for his chilling portrayal of drug kingpin Gus Fring on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.
His remarks came as Sundance has been shaped by a visibly political atmosphere. Several performers walked press lines wearing “ICE Out” pins, including Esposito and co-star Tatiana Maslany. Maslany also wore a second pin reading “Artists for Ceasefire” and voiced her own concerns about U.S. foreign policy and the war in Gaza, stating that artists could no longer distance themselves from political crises.
Esposito Had Firsthand Experience of Fascism
Unbeknownst to most people, Giancarlo Esposito had a firsthand taste of state-sanctioned oppression, mainly at the hands of an NYPD cop back in 2012. The Breaking Bad actor was stopped and frisked by the cop due to a case of mistaken identity, and the actor was even held at gunpoint, screaming at the officer.
Hence, one could say that Esposito’s comments about revolution are more personal, though they were definitely spurred by Nationwide demonstrations that have surged in recent weeks following deadly encounters involving ICE agents in Minneapolis. Two people have so far perished after standing up to ICE agents.
In any case, many people are praising Esposito for speaking out against the current US administration and calling out federal agencies’ injustices. Ironically enough, Esposito has been known to play a despotic fascist leader who squashes revolutions in Far Cry 6; this time around, he’s at the other end of the stick.
