A jury member at the Cannes Film Festival told reporters Tuesday that Hollywood has been quietly blacklisting actors who have spoken in support of Gaza, naming Mark Ruffalo and Javier Bardem as examples of stars facing professional fallout.
The remarks came during the jury's scheduled press conference, which reporters steered into geopolitical territory — Ukraine, Gaza, and Iran all surfaced before the session was finished.
The jury member stopped short of naming a specific studio, network, or production that had declined to hire either actor. The accusation of a blacklist was not accompanied by a termination letter, a dropped deal, or a declined contract anyone produced on the spot.
Ruffalo has been publicly vocal about the conflict in Gaza. Bardem signed an open letter in 2024 calling for a ceasefire. Neither has commented publicly on Tuesday's Cannes remarks as of filing.
The festival runs through May 24. The Palme d'Or jury is chaired this year by French actor Juliette Binoche, who has also spoken publicly about the Gaza conflict.
The allegation of industry blacklisting — made from a jury seat at the world's most-covered film festival, with no supporting documentation offered — arrived on the same afternoon the jury was also asked about the war in Ukraine.