Cannes 2026: Juror Paul Laverty Blasts Hollywood Over Susan Sarandon Blacklisting, Says Gaza War Critics Are ‘The Best Of…’

The 79th Cannes Film Festival serves as a display of exceptional films together with intense political debates. The festival reached an unexpected conclusion during its final moments. Paul Laverty, the respected screenwriter and Cannes jury member, used his position at the jury press conference to launch a fierce attack against the American film industry. The festival’s official poster, which showed Susan Sarandon in Thelma & Louise, led him to make his remarks. Laverty demonstrated how the film industry celebrates an actress’s cinematic achievements while the same industry has abandoned her because she supports human rights in Gaza.

Susan Sarandon and Other Gaza War Critics Receive Strong Support From Cannes Juror

The press room atmosphere changed from a party atmosphere to a serious atmosphere when Laverty expressed his support for the actors who lost their careers because they spoke out for their rights. He specifically highlighted the “shameful” environment in Hollywood where calling for a ceasefire or opposing the violence in Gaza has led to systematic exclusion. The way Sarandon, Javier Bardem, and Mark Ruffalo have been treated shows that Hollywood entertainment industry executives have committed a moral crime against their profession, according to Laverty. He asserted that these people exist as more than public figures who follow popular movements because they oppose the “murder of women and children” through their active resistance. Through his complete support declaration Laverty presented the actors as industry moral leaders who protect human rights through their dangerous career choices, which make them “the best of us.”

Cannes Jury Member Slams Industry “Blacklisting” Over Pro-Palestine Statements

The main focus of Laverty’s critique examined how contemporary blacklisting processes operate, which use a term that carries significant historical meaning in Hollywood. His deep frustration emerged because Sarandon lost her long-time talent agency contract after she expressed her political dissenting opinion. Sarandon herself has described how she achieved “persona non grata” status, which blocked her access to American television and major film sets because she had to work in independent European productions after domestic directors received warnings not to hire her. Laverty used his Cannes appearance to publicly demonstrate his disapproval of the existing gatekeeping system. He described the industry’s practice of exiling professionals who attempt to speak out against industry problems as a “plague” that exists because current leaders operate with complete ignorance about the human suffering that occurs in conflict zones.

“They’re the Best of Us”: Paul Laverty Praises Actors Speaking Out on Gaza Conflict

Laverty considered the Cannes Film Festival essential because it provided relief from the “systematic violence” that dominated global news content. He used Shakespeare’s King Lear to show his belief that creative arts function as essential spaces for expressing delicate emotions about the ongoing genocide in the world. By praising the actors who speak out, Laverty emphasized that cinema cannot exist in a vacuum, isolated from the reality of Gaza. He explained that Hollywood attempts to eliminate its list of “controversial” actors, but the creative spirit that exists at Cannes film festival serves as a safe space for artists who choose their principles above monetary gain, thereby maintaining the artistic essence of film, which seeks justice.

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