Meryl Streep: We Belong to the Most Vilified Segments in American Society Right Now

RUSH TRANSCRIPT STREEP Thank ░░░░░░░░ very much Thank you ░░░░░░░░ much Thank you Please ░░░░░░░░ down Please sit down ░░░░░░░░ you I love you ░░░░░░░░ You ll have to ░░░░░░░░ me I ve lost ░░░░░░░░ voice in screaming and ░░░░░░░░ this weekend And I ░░░░░░░░ lost my mind sometime ░░░░░░░░ this year So I ░░░░░░░░ to read Thank you ░░░░░░░░ foreign press Just to ░░░░░░░░ up on what Hugh ░░░░░░░░ said You and all ░░░░░░░░ us in this room ░░░░░░░░ belong to the most ░░░░░░░░ segments in American society ░░░░░░░░ now Think about it ░░░░░░░░ foreigners and the press ░░░░░░░░ who are we And ░░░░░░░░ know what is Hollywood ░░░░░░░░ It s just a ░░░░░░░░ of people from other ░░░░░░░░ I was born and ░░░░░░░░ and created in the ░░░░░░░░ schools of New Jersey ░░░░░░░░ was born in a ░░░░░░░░ cropper s cabin in ░░░░░░░░ Carolina grew up in ░░░░░░░░ falls Long Island Sarah ░░░░░░░░ was raised by a ░░░░░░░░ mom in Brooklyn Sarah ░░░░░░░░ parker was one of ░░░░░░░░ or eight kids from ░░░░░░░░ Amy Adams was born ░░░░░░░░ Italy Natalie portman was ░░░░░░░░ in Jerusalem Where are ░░░░░░░░ birth certificates Applause And ░░░░░░░░ beautiful Ruth negga was ░░░░░░░░ in Ethiopia raised in ░░░░░░░░ in Ireland I do ░░░░░░░░ And she s here ░░░░░░░░ for playing a small ░░░░░░░░ girl from Virginia Ryan ░░░░░░░░ like all the nicest ░░░░░░░░ is Canadian And dev ░░░░░░░░ was born in Kenya ░░░░░░░░ in London is here ░░░░░░░░ playing an Indian raised ░░░░░░░░ tasmania Hollywood is crawling ░░░░░░░░ outsiders and foreigners If ░░░░░░░░ kick em all out ░░░░░░░░ ll have nothing to ░░░░░░░░ but football and mixed ░░░░░░░░ arts which are not ░░░░░░░░ arts Cheers and applause ░░░░░░░░ gave me three seconds ░░░░░░░░ say this An actor ░░░░░░░░ only job is to ░░░░░░░░ the lives of people ░░░░░░░░ are different from us ░░░░░░░░ let you feel what ░░░░░░░░ feels like And there ░░░░░░░░ many many many powerful ░░░░░░░░ this year that did ░░░░░░░░ that breathtaking passionate work ░░░░░░░░ was one performance this ░░░░░░░░ that stunned me It ░░░░░░░░ its hooks in my ░░░░░░░░ Not because it was ░░░░░░░░ There was nothing good ░░░░░░░░ it But it was ░░░░░░░░ and it did its ░░░░░░░░ It made its intended ░░░░░░░░ laugh and show their ░░░░░░░░ It was that moment ░░░░░░░░ the person asking to ░░░░░░░░ in the most respected ░░░░░░░░ in our country imitated ░░░░░░░░ disabled reporter someone he ░░░░░░░░ in privilege power and ░░░░░░░░ capacity to fight back ░░░░░░░░ kind of broke my ░░░░░░░░ when I saw it ░░░░░░░░ still can t get ░░░░░░░░ out of my head ░░░░░░░░ it wasn t in ░░░░░░░░ movie It was real ░░░░░░░░ And this instinct to ░░░░░░░░ when it s modelled ░░░░░░░░ someone in the public ░░░░░░░░ by someone powerful it ░░░░░░░░ down into everybody s ░░░░░░░░ because it kind of ░░░░░░░░ permission for other people ░░░░░░░░ do the same thing ░░░░░░░░ invites disrespect Violence incites ░░░░░░░░ And the powerful use ░░░░░░░░ position to bully others ░░░░░░░░ all lose Okay Go ░░░░░░░░ with that thing This ░░░░░░░░ me to the press ░░░░░░░░ need the principled press ░░░░░░░░ hold power to account ░░░░░░░░ call them on the ░░░░░░░░ for every outrage Cheers ░░░░░░░░ applause That s why ░░░░░░░░ founders enshrined the press ░░░░░░░░ its freedoms in our ░░░░░░░░ So I only ask ░░░░░░░░ famously well heeled Hollywood ░░░░░░░░ press and all of ░░░░░░░░ in our community to ░░░░░░░░ me in supporting the ░░░░░░░░ to protect journalists Because ░░░░░░░░ re going to need ░░░░░░░░ going forward And they ░░░░░░░░ need us to safeguard ░░░░░░░░ truth One more thing ░░░░░░░░ when I was standing ░░░░░░░░ on the set one ░░░░░░░░ whining about something we ░░░░░░░░ going to work through ░░░░░░░░ or the long hours ░░░░░░░░ whatever Tommy Lee Jones ░░░░░░░░ to me isn t ░░░░░░░░ such a privilege Meryl ░░░░░░░░ to be an actor ░░░░░░░░ it is And we ░░░░░░░░ to remind each other ░░░░░░░░ the privilege and the ░░░░░░░░ of the act of ░░░░░░░░ We should all be ░░░░░░░░ proud of the work ░░░░░░░░ honors here tonight Applause ░░░░░░░░ my friend the dear ░░░░░░░░ Princess Leia said to ░░░░░░░░ once take your broken ░░░░░░░░ make it into art ░░░░░░░░ you.”