While Hollywood may have been plagued with scandal in 2017, Ridley Scott seems to be doing just fine.
In November, he created a bit of a media frenzy after he announced he’d be replacing Kevin Spacey with Christopher Plummer in “All The Money In The World,” only a few weeks before the movie’s release. The film was critically acclaimed, with Plummer receiving a Golden Globe nomination.
Now, Scott is talking tax reform, but he’s not taking the same side many of his Hollywood colleagues have chosen.
In an interview with John Wenzel at The Denver Post, Scott was asked, “There’s a lot commentary in this film about the value of human life, class struggles and the role of wealth in society. Do you think there’s anything to be learned from it at this moment in America?”
“Well, let’s take the tax bill,” Scott responded. “People say [Republicans] are doing it for the wealthy class. What they forget is if you get a clever, unselfish business person — I don’t care if it’s a corner store or a big business — who’s suddenly saving 15 percent, they’ll put it back in this business. Then you’re going to get growth and therefore [people] will get employed. My concern is with the elderly, the infirm and the youth who need to have chances and shots for every level, and equality in education. But you have to use it. You have to get your (expletive) head down and use it.”
But Wenzel pressed Scott further, speculating that he too “benefited from some help early on in your career.”
“I’m a natural-born hunter because that’s who I am,” Scott continued. “No one taught me that. I started from scratch. I arrived in Hollywood with a wristwatch and stayed at the YMCA. You have to learn the curve.”
“Don’t (expletive) moan about it. It’s about doing. There’s always a way in. I used to lay concrete on runways for an Irish company when I was a student. I packed drywall. My parents didn’t have the money to help me out. But they were very supportive of anything I wanted to do.”
Wenzel quickly changed the subject to violent scenes in action movies after that response.
While it’s almost certain that Scott will come under fire for supporting the GOP tax bill, it’s not the first time the PC police have come after him. Many on Twitter called for the boycott of his movie “Exodus,” since he used mostly white actors.
The industry needs to change! #BoycottExodusMovie, ethnic actors only cast in supporting roles while lead (Egyptian) roles are white actors!
— Shanice StewartJones (@THEshanice) November 27, 2014
Though he tries to keep his political affiliations relatively private, Scott has produced and directed a number of intensely patriotic films, such as Blackhawk Down, Killing Reagan, GI Jane, Gettysburg, and American Fighter Pilot.