I have written before about actor Eddie Marsan’s clear stand against antisemitism and solidarity with the Jewish people. But here’s a reminder:
In promoting a new series in which he stars as a Jewish man, Eddie has more to say on the subject, which shows just how well he understands the problem:
“It’s a very important story to tell, because of the rise of antisemitism on both the left and the right, and I think young people need to know what antisemitism is.
“It’s very insidious, and I know it’s a strange word, but it’s almost a ‘seductive’ racism. It’s sold as egalitarianism. People can make you feel like you’re trying to create an equal world.
“I was brought up in Tower Hamlets, which is the most multiracial borough in the country. I’m not religious in any sense – the only value I can pass on to my children are the values of the celebration of diversity that I was blessed to be raised with. And so, it’s very personal for me to do something like this.”
Marsan also revealed that he was inspired to take on the role after seeing the effects of antisemitism first-hand in recent years.
He says: “I was involved in the People’s Vote Campaign in Britain to have a second EU referendum. Being involved in that I got to know a Jewish female MP, who became a friend of mine, and I became more aware of the antisemitism she was suffering and the antisemitism that was coming to the fore in the UK.
“We used to argue against it on her social media, but I thought that there was something more constructive I could do. So, when [Solemani] approached me about doing this project, I thought I always wanted to put my talent and my crafts to good use, especially fighting racism.”
What a mensch.
