Beloved actor Woody Harrelson, known for playing a variety of fun roles in movies and television shows, slammed COVID mandates in a new interview this week, saying that the fact they’re happening under President Joe Biden shows the U.S. is “not a free country.”
Harrelson made the remarks in an interview with The New York Times when asked about what has changed in the film industry throughout his career.
“The business obviously changed. Those movies that go into the theaters, people want to see action: Marvel or the Tom Cruise thing. Which doesn’t necessarily bode well for a movie like ‘Champions,’ but I’m hopeful that people go see it,” he said. “I don’t know. I’ve been lucky. I was glad to do and such, but my heart is more with movies like this and the indies. Now to get an indie done? Especially with all the COVID protocols — which, to me, are rather absurd. I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
When asked by the Times what was “absurd about the COVID protocols,” Harrelson responded, “The fact that they’re still going on!”
“I don’t think that anybody should have the right to demand that you’re forced to do the testing, forced to wear the mask and forced to get vaccinated three years on,” he said. “I’m just like, let’s be done with this nonsense. It’s not fair to the crews. I don’t have to wear the mask. Why should they? Why should they have to be vaccinated? How’s that not up to the individual? I shouldn’t be talking about this [expletive].”
“It makes me angry for the crew. The anarchist part of me, I don’t feel that we should have forced testing, forced masking and forced vaccination,” he continued. “That’s not a free country. Really I’m talking about the crew. Because I can get out of wearing a mask. I can test less. I’m not in the same position they’re in, but it’s wrong. It’s three years. Stop.”
Harrelson said that as an anarchist, he doesn’t “do well with mandates.”
