Sarandon To Present Oscar, But Will She Protest?
Actress, Robbins Voiced Political Views While Presenting In 1993
POSTED: 4:14 p.m. EST March 18, 2003
The Motion Picture Academy has added actress Susan Sarandon to its list of presenters -- but will she have the guts to change her script and speak her feelings about the impending war with Iraq?
As a member of the celebrity activist group Artists United to Win Without War and a participant in antiwar media spots, Sarandon is one of Hollywood's most vocal antiwar celebrities.
Sarandon has used the Oscars to promote her political views before. In 1993, she and partner Tim Robbins were presenters -- and used the opportunity to speak out against HIV-positive Haitians being stopped from entering the United States.
Oscar producer Gil Cates last week said that while winners are free to say anything they want at the podium, he would be angry if any presenters change their scripts to voice any political views.
"If someone as presenter were to change what they and we agreed to, I think it would be a violation both ethically and morally," Cates said.
In regard to winners, Cates said he'd prefer they use their 45 seconds talking about the award.
Cates reaffirmed Monday that the Oscars would go on in the event of war, and that he has contingency plans in place. He said that, if necessary, there would be network cut-ins by Oscar network ABC and screen crawls with any important information about the war.
The Oscars are scheduled to take place Sunday night at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, Calif.
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As a member of the celebrity activist group Artists United to Win Without War and a participant in antiwar media spots, Sarandon is one of Hollywood's most vocal antiwar celebrities.
Sarandon has used the Oscars to promote her political views before. In 1993, she and partner Tim Robbins were presenters -- and used the opportunity to speak out against HIV-positive Haitians being stopped from entering the United States.
Oscar producer Gil Cates last week said that while winners are free to say anything they want at the podium, he would be angry if any presenters change their scripts to voice any political views.
"If someone as presenter were to change what they and we agreed to, I think it would be a violation both ethically and morally," Cates said.
In regard to winners, Cates said he'd prefer they use their 45 seconds talking about the award.
Cates reaffirmed Monday that the Oscars would go on in the event of war, and that he has contingency plans in place. He said that, if necessary, there would be network cut-ins by Oscar network ABC and screen crawls with any important information about the war.
The Oscars are scheduled to take place Sunday night at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, Calif.
Share Your Thoughts
Previous Story:
- March 17, 2003: Celebrity Chatter: Oscars 'Will Go On' Despite Possible War
- March 11, 2003: Producer Assures Oscars On, War Or Not
Copyright 2003 by KMBC.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
