It has been over a month since hostilities in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas escalated to an all-out war. What began as a moment of peaceful demonstrations quickly exploded into a devastating conflict that has left many in Hollywood, including those in the entertainment industry, struggling to cope. Though violence has ceased for the time being, the war continues to divide Hollywood.
Across Hollywood, production and agents have cut their ties with Israel and begun to drop projects involving the region. These decisions have been difficult. For both the producers, agents, and the actors involved, the consequences of participating in a project that appears to support either side in the conflict can be long-lasting and harsh. Actors, such as Brooklyn Decker, who vocalized their support for Israel, was dropped from her agent, Robert Siegel.
The situation has been especially hard to navigate for actors and filmmakers of Middle Eastern descent. These actors are caught between supporting their native homeland and their adopted home of Hollywood, and they are aware of the risks they may face when voicing an opinion regarding the conflict. These risks may include, such as potentially being blackballed by the industry or worse.
Though Hollywood has traditionally been seen as being liberal and open-minded, this conflict has shown it to be anything but. The decision of many production companies to refuse to make content involving the region highlights that Hollywood is still not comfortable dealing with foreign conflicts.
For individual actors and filmmakers, this conflict is especially complicated. Refusal to work with Israel carries a certain stigma while, likewise, voicing support for either side may lead to public backlash and exclusion from larger projects. Hollywood’s refusal to engage with the conflict has been seen as a refusal to engage with the complexities and nuances of the situation.
The war between Israel and Hamas has created an intense and, unfortunately, divisive atmosphere in Hollywood. Though violence has lowered, the tension, uncertainty, and risk for actors and filmmakers continues to remain pervasive. The decision whether or not to make content related to the region or to support either side in the conflict is a matter of personal choice. For many, speaking out or engaging with either side of the conflict can have long lasting consequences. For many in Hollywood, this conflict is not only challenging but also potentially damaging.