Israeli actor invites Kieran Culkin to visit US Holocaust Museum
Oscar winner lauded for role in film about Holocaust but doesn't mention it in acceptance speech
Jenni Frazer is a freelance journalist
An Emmy-award-winning Israeli-American actor, Yuval David, has invited Kieran Culkin to tour the US Holocaust Museum with him in response to Culkin’s failure to mention antisemitism when accepting his Oscar last weekend for his part in the film, A Real Pain.
The film, written and directed by Jewish actor Jesse Eisenberg, is a “road trip” feature in which two cousins go to Poland to find out more about their grandmother and the Holocaust.
But, said David, Culkin, in accepting his award for Best Supporting Actor, had not mentioned “antisemitism, anti-Jewish bigotry, the plight of the Jewish people, or the Holocaust—especially given the subject matter of A Real Pain”.
Speaking to Jewish News, Yuval David strongly criticised the Hollywood entertainment industry for what he called “performative activism” and the “silence of celebrities when it comes to Jewish people”.
He said there was hypocrisy throughout the industry and believed that people were “scared” when it came to public support of Israel or the Jewish people.
He was particularly critical of the situation in which actor Guy Pearce, whose role in The Brutalist was one of a Wasp-ish antisemite, wore a Free Palestine badge to the Oscars ceremony — despite the Academy having warned stars that no political statements or pins would be allowed.
David said he understood that some stars had been told to remove their yellow hostage pins,”because it was too political”, but that Pearce had not been told to remove his badge. “To me, he represents an anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish agenda. Free Palestine is aligned with Hamas. The question of why he was allowed to wear his badge, while people who were supporting Israel and advocating for the release of the hostages, were told they were not allowed to do it — it’s a clear message of the Hollywood industry being too afraid to stand up for the values of human rights, civil rights and social justice”
He deplored a situation where actors such as David Schwimmer and Gal Gadot could only make clear their pro-Israel support in “the echo chamber” of a Jewish platform — as happened this week when both actors spoke to an audience at the Anti-Defamation League.
David, who won his Emmy for a TV series he hosted and produced, One Actor Short, said he did not know Kieran Culkin personally and was not sure how confident he was that the actor would respond to his invitation and visit the Holocaust Museum with him.
But he told Culkin: “Your performance was entertaining and moving — the film itself is an important contribution to the ongoing conversation about history, memory, and identity. As an actor, filmmaker, and Jewish leader, I truly appreciate the work you brought to the screen”.
He added: “In a time of rising anti-Jewish hatred and Holocaust denial, voices like yours have an opportunity to make a real impact.
“Public figures within the entertainment industry often speak out on important social issues, and this was a moment where that engagement was missed”.
A strong Jewish and Zionist advocate who is a frequent public speaker for American Jewish organisations, David said he “would be honoured to walk through [the Holocaust Museum] with you and discuss how we, as artists and storytellers, can ensure that history is remembered and that antisemitism is actively confronted”.
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