Bryan Cranston, who played President Lyndon B. Johnson on Broadway and HBO, appeared on a civil rights panel Tuesday with 1960s-era activists and signed on to an anti-Donald Trump campaign with more than 100 other celebrities at the Democratic National Convention.
Cranston was joined by Julianne Moore, Kerry Washington, Mark Ruffalo, Neil Patrick Harris, Lena Dunham, Shonda Rhimes and Macklemore in calling on Americans to deny Trump the White House. It’s part of MoveOn.org’s “United Against Hate” effort.
The Breaking Bad star pledged his support for Hillary Clinton during the panel discussion, which touched on the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party’s fight against the state’s all-white delegation at the 1964 Democratic convention.
Cranston’s film All the Way chronicles the tumultuous struggle that led to passage of the Civil Rights Act. Cranston said sharing the stage with the activists who played real-life roles in civil rights history made him feel like a “cubic zirconia on a stage with diamonds.”
As an actor, he said he’s baffled that his opinions should be taken more seriously than anybody else’s.
“I think any person who has been given that, has been given that gift, has a sense of responsibility to share their thoughts and comments and feelings with society, to be socially conscious,” he said.
Celebrity highlights on the convention stage on Tuesday include Meryl Streep, Pitch Perfect actress Elizabeth Banks, Scandal co-star Tony Goldwyn, Girls creator Lena Dunham and Superstore actress America Ferrera.
Actress Debra Messing, who co-starred on Will & Grace, will introduce remarks from a first responder and a victim from the 9/11 terror attack.
Singer Andra Day was scheduled to perform, and Alicia Keys was to close out the evening.
The band Drive-By Truckers were to perform at a gun control rally.
