MEZIESBLOG

“I would like to go against the grain this evening and thank President Trump for making Frank Gallagher seem so normal.” — William H. Macy

JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS

“I want you all to know that I am the daughter of an immigrant. My father fled religious persecution in Nazi-occupied France and I’m an American patriot and I love this country. And because I love this country I am horrified by its blemishes. This immigrant ban is a blemish and it is un-American, so I say to you this: ‘Our sister guild the WGA made a statement today that I would like to read because I am in complete agreeance with it. ‘Our guilds are unions of storytellers, who have always welcomed those from nations and from various beliefs who wish to share their creativity with America, we are grateful for them. We stand with them. And we will fight for them.’” — Julia Louis-Dreyfus

ASHTON KUTCHER

“I am a citizen of the world. I’m a professional liar. I play pretend for fun. I’m afforded the opportunity to show the ugliest, most fearful, most vulnerable parts of myself because privately, someone loves me for those flaws.” He then thanked “everyone in airports that belong in my America,” in reference to President Donald Trump’s controversial executive order and immigration ban. “You are part of the fabric of who we are, and we welcome you and we love you.” — Ashton Kutcher

THE CAST OF ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

“We’d like to say that we stand up here representing a diverse group of people, representing generations of family who have sought a better life here, from places like Nigeria, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Ireland,” OITNB actress Taylor Schilling said while accepting the cast’s SAG Award. “We know that it’s going to be up to us — and all of you, probably, too — to keep telling stories that show what unites us is stronger than the forces that seek to divide us.”

MAHERSHALA ALI

“I think what I’ve learned from working on Moonlight is we see what happens when you persecute people. They fold into themselves … You know, when we kind of get caught up in the minutia, the details that make us different, I think there’s two ways of seeing that, there’s an opportunity to see the texture of that person, the characteristics that make them unique. And then there’s an opportunity to go to war about it, and to say that that person is different from me, and I don’t like you, so let’s battle. My mother is an ordained minister, I’m a Muslim. She didn’t do backflips when I called her to tell her I converted 17 years ago. But I tell you now, you put things to the side. And I’m able to see her, and she’s able to see me. We love each other and the love has grown. And that stuff is minutiae. It’s not that important.”