If an award show takes place on the Sunday before Election Day, you better believe that celebs will use the moment to weigh in on politics.
And that’s exactly what happened tonight at the Hollywood Film Awards.
“This is it,” host James Corden said during his opening monologue. “This could be the last awards ceremony before the apocalypse. Come Wednesday morning we could all be watching a real-life version of The Purge.”
Robert De Niro thanked the HFA for being honored with this year’s comedy award, but said, “I know we’re here to celebrate movies in Hollywood…but it’s two days before a frightening election and the shadow of politics is hanging over us whether we like it or not and it’s hard fro me to think about anything else. So let me just lay it out right here–we have the opportunity to prevent a comedy from turning into a tragedy. Vote for Hillary Tuesday.”
Leonardo DiCaprio didn’t say Hillary Clinton’s name, but you knew who he was talking about when he and Fisher Stevens received the documentary award for their climate change doc Before the Flood.
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“Let’s all use our power as citizens to do the right thing,” DiCaprio said. “Please vote…Vote for people who believe in the science of climate change.” (Donald Trump has claimed that climate change is a fabrication created by the Chinese government.)
Natalie Portman, who took home the actress award, stars in Jackie as Jackie Kennedy in the hours and days following the assassination of JFK. “We have obviously heard so many crazy things that have been said about women this year politically and to women and I feel so lucky to be a part of this film that is about a woman who was known maybe first for being a wife—first to Kennedy and then to Onassis—but then really became someone who could be recognized on her own merits just as Jackie,” Portman said.
Corden said of the 2016 movie slate, “This year they brought back Star Wars with a female lead, they rebooted Ghostbusters with a female lead and I pray to God they reboot the Clinton presidency with a female lead.”
There was a smidge of GOP representation in the room. Not only was Clint Eastwood a presenter, but when Corden asked Trump supporters to raise their hands, one woman jumped out of her seat and did a little dance while another woman raised both her hands.
“This is good,” Corden said. “These speeches have made an impact because when they polled the room it was 50-50.”
Other HFA winners included Nicole Kidman, Justin Timberlake, Tom Hanks, Eddie Murphy, Tom Ford, Mel Gibson, Lily Collins, Hugh Grant, Janelle Monáe, Naomie Harris and the cast of the upcoming real-life drama Gold.
The star-studded gala took place at the Hilton Beverly Hills and was presented by Virginia Black whiskey.
Make sure to check out more from the Hollywood Film Awards tomorrow night on E! News at 7 p.m. and 11 p.m.
