Emma Thompson has admitted she actively uses her fame to talk about political issues.
The 58-year-old actress – who stars in the upcoming movie ‘Alone in Berlin’ – is very vocal about her passion for the environment and she feels as though it’s her responsibility to use her profile to talk about these things and try and make a difference.
In an interview with the Metro newspaper, she said: "I just do it because it seems natural. Everything is political. So I’ve never, ever done any of these interviews without it becoming a political discussion because that’s what life is. It would be dull if all we did was talk about films."
Emma makes sure her political views are fully backed up with information collected from different sources – including some of her friends who are journalists.
She said: "I read books by journalists and I watch the Real New Network out of Baltimore – their news pieces are 15 minutes long and there will be long, discursive pieces about certain issues. I buy periodicals, from the right and the left. And from Greenpeace, CND, Amnesty International … And I talk to people who have been refugees and I travel."
But it’s not always easy, as Emma admitted she still hits barriers when it comes to convincing people the importance of saving the environment.
She explained: "I still see people going into supermarkets and taking the plastic bag. Why can’t you just carry a bag? For God’s sake, what is wrong with you? It’s a form of collective madness and blindness. They’ve got a satchel, they can carry a little bag in it. There’s a mass of plastic the size of Spain and Portugal put together in the Pacific Ocean. It’s all plastics. We have s**t on our own world to such a degree and it’s all greed, profit, money and ignorance."
Emma Thompson uses her fame to tackle political issues
