Appearing on the 9 a.m. ET hour of NBC’s Today on Monday, left-wing actor Donald Sutherland recalled being scolded by actress Helen Mirren on the set of one of his films: “Helen Mirren came up to me on the set and....she said, ‘You are the most privileged person on Earth’....I said, ‘How can you say that?’ And she said, ‘You are a white male.’”
Co-host Tamron Hall wondered: “And your reply to that was?” Sutherland proclaimed: “There’s no reply. I was ashamed. I was stunned. And I have gotten more ashamed. It's interesting to realize that you are seen as an integral part of a group that many of whom are mendacious, misogynist, of bigots, racists, and it's appalling.”
Hall followed up: “So what do you tell your – you have many, many grandchildren. What do you tell them?...what do you tell them to give them a hopeful view of life?”
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Sutherland, clearly referring to election of Donald Trump, ranted:
How can I give them a hopeful view now? How can I give them a hopeful view? I have a wife, I have a daughter, I have a daughter-in-law and a granddaughter. What do I say to them? What do I say to them? Their women’s rights have gone, you know? The environment has gone, minimum pay has gone. What do I say to them? How do I – you know, I can only say one thing, I am a Canadian. And that's what I am.
Here is a transcript of the November 14 exchange:
9:32 AM ET
(...)
DYLAN DRYER: And speaking of the movie with Helen Mirren, The Leisure Seeker, is that the one you were talking about?
DONALD SUTHERLAND: If I could do a thousand movies with Helen Mirren, I would, but that's the only one I've done.
DRYER: Okay.
SUTHERLAND: And it was – if it is a quarter as good as it was a joy to play, then it will be absolutely wonderful. Helen Mirren – you – Helen Mirren came up to me on the set and stood in front of me and said – in the middle of shooting, you know – and I love her. And she said, “You are the most privileged person on Earth.” And I said, “You're joking.” I mean, I've been very fortunate and I’ve had a wonderful life. But she said, “No, you're the most privileged person on Earth.” I said, “How can you say that?” And she said, “You are a white male.”
TAMRON HALL: And your reply to that was?
SUTHERLAND: There’s no reply. I was ashamed. I was stunned. And I have gotten more ashamed. It's interesting to realize that you are seen as an integral part of a group that many of whom are mendacious, misogynist, of bigots, racists, and it's appalling.
HALL: So what do you tell your – you have many, many grandchildren. What do you tell them? Several.
SUTHERLAND: No, I have four.
HALL: Several, I was think seven more. So, four grandchildren, what do you tell them to give them a hopeful view of life?
SUTHERLAND: How can I give them a hopeful view now? How can I give them a hopeful view? I have a wife, I have a daughter, I have a daughter-in-law and a granddaughter. What do I say to them? What do I say to them? Their women’s rights have gone, you know? The environment has gone, minimum pay has gone. What do I say to them? How do I – you know, I can only say one thing, I am a Canadian. And that's what I am.
AL ROKER: A lot to think about. Donald Sutherland, thank you so much.
(...)
