Giancarlo Esposito, known for his role as Gustavo Fring in Breaking Bad, recently spoke out against the Trump administration’s immigration policies at the Sundance Film Festival. While there promoting his new thriller, The Only Living Pickpocket in New York – where he stars alongside John Turturro and Steve Buscemi – Esposito told Variety that he believes the deaths of Renée Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis will likely spark widespread protests across the country. He suggested that Donald Trump wouldn’t fare well if he were a character in the Breaking Bad world, given the show’s themes of consequence and violence.
A significant change is happening, and most people don’t realize the scale of it. We need to resist. They can’t defeat everyone. If people all over the world directly confronted leaders in places like Russia, Iran, or the United States, there would be violence – potentially affecting millions – but ultimately, many of us would live on in a transformed world.
A powerful few are intentionally creating division and fear, potentially leading to violence, and preparing people to act on their prejudices. I feel compelled to speak against this growing problem and stand firm against attempts to marginalize and oppress us. We will resist these efforts and won’t be silenced or pushed aside.
This year’s Sundance Film Festival, which wraps up on February 1st, has seen its film premieres somewhat overshadowed by political statements made on the red carpet. For example, Tatiana Maslany, a co-star of Esposito’s film Pickpocket, wore a badge saying “ICE Out,” and Elijah Wood joined a protest nearby where demonstrators chanted, “Love melts ICE! Love melts ICE!”
According to Deadline, the actor best known for The Lord of the Rings said he was deeply saddened by the recent shootings in Minnesota. He noted the irony of attending a film festival dedicated to unity and global storytelling, especially given the divisions happening elsewhere. He emphasized that the festival itself was a place where people were coming together, not being torn apart.
Hollywood Stars Stand Against ICE at Sundance
MRC
Actors Edward Norton and Olivia Wilde spoke out against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency responsible for border security and criminal investigations within the U.S. They criticized ICE’s use of force against protestors, with Norton drawing a comparison to the Gestapo, the secret police of Nazi Germany, and Wilde emphasizing that such deadly actions are unacceptable.
As a film lover, it’s amazing to be here celebrating the power of storytelling. But it’s hard to ignore everything happening in the world, and especially here at home – it’s truly awful. We can’t just stand by and accept this as the way things are. People are losing their lives, and if we, as a community, can use our voices to support efforts to dismantle ICE – an organization that’s causing so much harm – then I believe we absolutely should.
Natalie Portman, the Academy Award-winning actress, also spoke out against ICE, saying the issues facing the country were casting a shadow over the Sundance Film Festival. However, Dean Cain, known for playing Superman, doesn’t think the recent criticism is justified.
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2026-01-29 16:21