‘The Big Bang Theory’ star Simon Helberg, wife Jocelyn Towne protest Donald Trump executive order at SAG Awards
Over the course of the weekend, there were protests aplenty regarding what happened as a result of President Donald Trump’s latest executive order, one that effectively stopped people coming to the United States from several different countries in and around the Middle East for a specific stretch of time. We often try not to be overly political on the site, but to call this “saddening” would be putting it mildly, especially for the families that could be ripped apart as a result of the move.
We knew that there would be many actors who took it up themselves at the Screen Actors Guild Awards this year hoping to stand up for what they felt was right, and one of those such actors was Simon Helberg of “The Big Bang Theory” fame. As a matter of fact, you can argue that he and his wife Jocelyn Towne chose to take it to another level. While on the red carpet for the show, the two stood for photos together (see the one HERE) making it clear how they stood on the refugee issue.
As a form of protest, this is a brilliant, powerful move. Not every person out there is going to have an opportunity to watch videos from the awards tonight, and to hear what many people had to say. This is a case where a single image says it all. Photographers were there to document this for the entirety of the night, and this photo can be circulated all over the world in a short period of time.
To have this moment come via Helberg and his wife is especially notable, given that you are speaking about an actor from one of the most popular shows around the world. There are people within Syria and Yemen who are aware of who Howard Wolowitz is, and who look towards the characters on this show as a form of laughter and escapism. To see his family offer up this show of support from so many miles away may be a symbol of tremendous hope. We applaud Helberg for breaking convention, and doing something to raise further awareness for a valuable cause.