CNN
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Julianna Margulies is “disappointed” that more people in the entertainment industry are not speaking out against anti-Semitism.
Speaking at Variety’s Hollywood and Anti-Semitism Summit in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Margulies said she was “trying to understand and address why every single person in our industry isn’t standing up” against hate. .
“I don’t know,” she added.
“Maybe they’re scared. Honestly, I don’t know what they’re scared of…losing followers?” Margulies continued. “That’s insane to me.”
“I don’t think so,” Margulies said, adding that while she never expected to become “an actress who speaks for Jewish people,” she is proud to do so.
Margulies, who is Jewish, currently appears as a journalist on Apple TV’s “The Morning Show.” She recalled her experiences while making this series, which she now “regrets.”
Margulies said that during fittings, the show’s costume designer placed a cross around her neck as part of her character Laura Peterson’s wardrobe. She explained that the designer intended the cross to be a symbol of her character’s journey as a journalist.
“I didn’t think twice,” Margulies said. “I put on a cross, and the character became popular, and when I got to the next season, I had that cross in my dressing room.”
Mr. Margulies leads the Holocaust education program. Jewish Heritage Museum In New York, he stepped into this role after filming the second season of “The Morning Show.” This incident, she says, caused her girlfriend to ask herself some questions. “Why didn’t you say, wait a minute, why am I carrying a cross?”
“If a character on TV wears a Star of David, and they don’t talk about their religion, and they’re just regular characters, they’ll never wear a Star of David. I don’t like that. I regret that and I am sorry,” she said, adding, “I will be more careful in the future.”
She also said, “I don’t think the religious aspects of the characters I play need to be part of that character’s backstory, but it’s such an easy thing to wear a cross, so why should it be just as easy?” Isn’t it?” he said. With the Star of David.
Mr. Margulies weighed in on the debate about whether it is appropriate for actors to play Jews or homosexuals on screen if they have a different identity in real life.
“Look, I play a gay, lesbian journalist. I’m a woman married to a man with children, so does that mean I can’t play a single, motherless woman? It’s a slippery slope. “I think so,” she said, adding that when it comes to religion, “I’m on the fence about it.”
“Honestly, it’s a slippery slope for me because I’m an actor and I need the characters I play to be believable,” she said.
Margulies spoke about her work at the Museum of Jewish Heritage and her passion for educating children about the Holocaust. She believes her efforts are making an impact.
“It’s going well,” Margulies said. “We reached 7,000 children who knew nothing about Jews or the Holocaust.”
