Hollywood Actors, Directors, Creators Discuss Gun Safety in… | Brady
Adam Brody, Piper Perabo, D.B. Woodside among attendees of White House visit, organized by Brady
Washington, D.C., April 26, 2023 – Today, as a part of Brady’s “Show Your Safety” campaign, nearly two dozen Hollywood actors, directors, and showrunners took part in a roundtable discussion at the White house about the role Hollywood can play in combating the gun violence epidemic.
The roundtable follows a deadly spate of preventable shootings across the U.S. and recent Biden administration efforts to curb gun violence, including expanding background checks and increasing gun industry accountability.
Among the nearly two dozen participants in White House meeting were actor Adam Brody, True Lies creator and showrunner Matt Nix, actor D.B. Woodside, and actress Piper Perabo.
Following the roundtable, several participants took part in a press call to discuss the meeting, their involvement in addressing gun violence through TV and film, and where progress can still be made in Hollywood.
Kris Brown, president of Brady, said:
“We’ve seen how Hollywood has been instrumental in using entertainment forums to create cultural change. Cultural views towards smoking, drunk driving and marriage equality have evolved in part due to how Hollywood visualizes and contextualizes these issues. Hollywood can do the same with gun violence.”
Brady’s “Show Your Safety” campaign encourages writers, directors and producers to be mindful of on-screen gun violence and model gun safety best practices in order to not glamourize or desensitize Americans to gun violence.
As part of the “Show Your Safety” campaign, last year over 200 writers, directors, and producers signed Brady’s open letter, agreeing to lead positive culture change by having conversations during pre-production regarding the way guns are shown on film and limiting scenes including children and firearms. The letter remains open and Brady is encouraging more film and TV leaders to join the effort.
Adam Brody, The O.C.; Shazam! actor said:
“Guns are prominently featured in TV and film across the globe, but only America has a gun violence epidemic. It’s shocking that 4.6 million children in America live in homes with unsecured firearms. Hollywood has a role to play here, just like it did with inspiring positive behavior change after modeling seatbelt use and designated drivers.
“This new campaign from Brady is helping TV & film not only encourage safer, responsible gun use, but it’s also pushing all of us to think outside the box in our storylines.”
Piper Perabo, Yellowstone; Covert Affairs actress, said:
“Changing the way we treat guns on TV and film is not a substitute for common-sense gun legislation. But incremental changes can bring awareness and shift norms and the culture around guns, and move us closer to ending this national nightmare.”
Matt Nix, True Lies; Burn Notice producer and showrunner, said:
“I’ve written a lot of stories over the years that involve firearms, and I’ve already changed how I portray gun safety in the home since signing Brady’s #ShowYourSafety pledge last year.
“The cool thing about this campaign is the way it challenges writers to bring common sense gun safety to American audiences in a way that works for storytelling of any kind. Every show, every movie is different, but the message is consistent: gun safety is everyone’s job.”
