Hugh Bonneville used his appearance on last night’s Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale red carpet to issue an impassioned plea for the “international community” to intervene in Gaza.
Bonneville was asked by an ITV reporter to talk about the final chapter of the Downton saga but instead started by intently staring into the camera and directly addressing the conflict.
“Before I talk about the fluff and loveliness of our wonderful film, what’s about to happen in Gaza City is indefensible and the international community must do more to bring it to an end,” Bonneville said.
Barely skipping a beat, he went on: “Downton Abbey is a lovely film and we are going to celebrate 15 years of it tonight.”
Bonneville was speaking as the conflict dominated proceedings over in Italy at the Venice Film Festival. Gaza drama The Voice of Hind Rajab received a 23-minute standing ovation at Venice last night and on Saturday, a large protest gathered on the Lido in support of Palestine and to denounce Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza. This was one of a number of such protests that have taken place on red carpets since the conflict began nearly two years ago.
In Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, Bonneville reprises his role for a final time playing the Earl of Grantham Robert Crawley, which he has been doing on and off for ITV and PBS for the last 15 years to acclaim.
He attended the glitzy red carpet in London’s Leicester Square alongside stars including Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael and Joanne Froggatt.
The post Hugh Bonneville Urges “International Community” To Intervene In Gaza City During ‘Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale’ Red Carpet Interview appeared first on Deadline.
