Mark Ruffalo Urges Americans To ‘Vote For Love And Compassion And Kindness’ At Emmys

 

Actor Mark Ruffalo, who plays Bruce Banner/Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, used his Emmy Award acceptance speech on Sunday night to make a political statement.

Receiving the award for outstanding lead actor in a limited series or movie for “I Know This Much Is True” on HBO, Ruffalo touted America’s diversity and encouraged people to vote for compassion this November.

“Our story is about family. It’s about a man who’s fighting for his brother who’s living with mental illness. It’s a story that’s common throughout so much of the United States and the world today, and it asks a big question: how are we going to deal, and honor, and take care of each other, and our most vulnerable people? And we do that with love, and we do that with compassion, and we do that by fighting for them—and that’s what we have to do today,” Ruffalo said.

“We have to come together with love for each other, and if you have privilege, you have to fight for those who are less fortunate and more vulnerable,” he continued. “That’s what’s great about America, our diversity, and the one thing I’ve learned in my family … is that we are stronger together, when we love each other and we respect each other’s diversity.”

Ruffalo concluded that America’s moment will be deciding on whether or not it stands for kindness or “division and hatred.”

“We have a big, important moment ahead of us. Are we gonna be a country of division, hatred, and a country only for a certain kind of people, or are we gonna be one of love and strength and fighting for those—all of us [unintelligible] all of us have the American dream, and the pursuit of life and liberty and love and happiness in this great country of ours?” he said. “That’s what we’re facing right now. So get out and vote, make a plan, and vote for love and compassion and kindness.”

Predictably, comedian Jimmy Kimmel began the evening by mocking President Trump and his supporters. As the show opened, Kimmel came out onto the stage to thunderous applause from the audience. Quickly it was revealed to be a recording from a previous show and the real Kimmel was seated by himself in the audience.

“Of course I’m here all alone; of course we don’t have an audience!” Kimmel said, as reported by Fox News. “This isn’t a MAGA rally, it’s the Emmys. Instead of a live audience, we took a page from baseball tonight, and we filled the seats with cardboard cutouts of the nominees.”

Later, Jimmy Kimmel said, “Has the president tweeted us yet? Oh right, it’s Sunday, he’s probably at Church.”

Actor Daniel Levy apologized for making his acceptance speech political after asking that people register to vote. “Our show at its core is about the transformational effects of love and acceptance, and that is something we need more of now than we’ve ever needed before,” he said.

“For any of you who have not registered to vote, please do so. And then go out and vote because that is the only way that we are going to have some love and acceptance out there. Please do that. I’m so sorry for making this political, but I had to,” he added.