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Bryan Cranston on Donald Trump’s Fearmongering Politics and What We Can Learn From Trumbo

A Celebration For Bryan Cranston
Photo: Andrew Toth/Getty Images

The nominations have been pouring in for Bryan Cranston’s portrayal of Dalton Trumbo, Hollywood’s top screenwriter who was famously blacklisted for his political beliefs, in Trumbo. The Cinema Society hosted a celebration for Cranston Sunday night at the House of Elyx, and he wasn’t shy about drawing comparisons between his movie and the current political climate. “I think the story of Trumbo helps the public see how fearmongering can develop into a paralyzing experience for citizens,” Cranston told Vulture. “Incendiary comments that are only intended to stoke the fire aren’t helpful.” All of which isn’t dissimilar from the rhetoric of one Republican primary candidate Donald Trump. “Donald Trump is filled with inflammatory rhetoric, and I just think that he would say anything,” he said. “Look, he’s appealing to some of our most basic emotions through fear. And I think America is quite earnestly feeling that way. So the emotion is real.”

But that doesn’t mean Cranston doesn’t respect the Donald. “There are many aspects to Donald Trump. He’s a complicated guy, and I’ll be honest, an aspect that I like is that he is refreshing,” he said. “I think people realize that he doesn’t have a filter, and he doesn’t even care if what he is saying is politically correct.” That may be what resonates with many Americans. “The rest of the candidates are very managed. I think they have an extremely handled approach to delivering a press conference,” he said. “For some reason at this moment in time, he is relevant in our political landscape. We need to learn from what he’s doing. Meaning that it’s time for us to adapt. And I think the bigger thing that I keep thinking about is, why are so many Americans responding to him?”

Bryan Cranston on Trump and Trumbo