At this year’s Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, the Emmy-winning actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus was on hand to help amplify the message of McCarthy, CEO, and president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, during the Sundance Film Festival Panel Series discussion Friday about the environment at the NRDC Impact Lounge.
The discussion concentrated on the actions that can be taken to prevent devastating climate change. Louis-Dreyfus, a longtime NRDC supporter, has now joined the board of the non-profit organization. The former “Veep” star, who attended the annual fest to promote her new movie with Will Ferrell, a remake of “Downhill,” was discussing the hot-button issue.
McCarthy and Louis-Dreyfus highlighted film and TV entertainment, from “All in the Family” to “Dark Waters” and “Will & Grace ” as inspiration for cultural change. McCarthy told EW, that celebrities can often share a message a lot louder than a civilian. As Louis-Dreyfus said, “It’s a good question, I have to think about this… I wonder if my therapist is in the room,” the Seinfeld star joked. “Guilt is a great motivator for me.” “As I’ve become more of a well-known actress, I’ve felt a certain responsibility. As something Norman Lear once said, ‘Celebrity is something you spend.’ And, so, I thought, ‘Well, I need to spend this on something of worth.’ And this seems quite worthwhile.”
Louis-Dreyfus went on to share her family history to describe why and how she got into the cause. Her stepfather, a thoracic surgeon, traveled the world with her and the family for NGO Project Hope on behalf of humanitarian health. “There was a culture in my family of giving back,” she said. “And not just giving back, but a feeling of being linked to your community. That you are very much your neighbor’s keeper.”
The 59-year-old comedian, whose husband, Brad Hall, was alongside her in support, also jested that her conscience inspires her. “Guilt is a great motivator for me,” she quipped, prompting huge laughs from the crowd. Louis-Dreyfus added, but seriously, “I want to spend my celebrity on something of worth.” Louis-Dreyfus will be spending much of the rest of Sundance supporting her new film Downhill, co-starring Will Ferrell, which is making its premiere at the fest.
Last summer, a large group of celebs was implicated of hypocrisy when they visited a Google top for Climate Change taking personal jets. It’s possible that the Seinfeld alum was referencing that occurrence, in specific.
Julia has received multiple awards for the show, including Daytime Emmy Awards and SAG awards. Although he has found success in other areas, Louis-Dreyfus is famous for his work on the legendary television show, Seinfeld, developed by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld.
Louis-Dreyfus isn’t the only celebrity who is passionate about climate change. Even the supermodel, Bella Hadid, recently announced that she was donating money to plant trees.
This is NRDC’s first year debuting programming at Sundance. The EW x NRDC Sundance Film Festival Panel Series will continue through Monday, Jan. 27.
Other guests visiting the space include Alec Baldwin, Zazie Beetz, Eva Longoria, and Amy Ryan.
source: ew.com
Video: Julia Louis-Dreyfus battled her cancer:
