Movie star Tilda Swinton told Hollywood to pound sand and praised Texas over Covid protocols, saying that she refuses to wear a mask any longer because she’s “super healthy.”
The “Doctor Strange” actress made the declaration during her keynote address at the 2023 South by Southwest Festival (SXSW) in Austin, Texas.
“I’m actually just about to start shooting a picture in Ireland,” the Britsh actress revealed.
“And I was told, full disclosure, and I’m sure this is being recorded – people in Ireland might hear it – to wear a mask at all times.
“And I’m not wearing a mask because I’m super healthy and I’ve had Covid so many times and I’m so full of antibodies and I have faith.
“But it’s very nice to see your faces unmasked.
“In many ways, I feel more than ever that cinema is evermore magic and carpet-like.
“We’ve had different, not battles, but challenges, let’s say, that euphemism for battle.
“We’ve had different challenges in the last few years particularly, and some of them are lingering around people’s belief in sitting in big spaces.
“Look at you, I bet you none of you are wearing masks, as well.
“I mean, who knew that was gonna be possible.
“I mean in Texas, did people wear masks? I have to ask.
“I don’t know. It’s a wide world and people do things differently all over the place.
“A couple of years ago, we couldn’t imagine sitting in a room like this. Could we?
“And we did wonder. I did,” she said.
“I wondered how long it would be before the time we would be able to, and I did – I did have a concern that those who thought that sitting in a big place to look at a big screen was a bit obsolete would kind of gain traction.
“And that that would just tip it over the edge, and people would just forget the power of the magic carpet.
“But, then this magical thing happened, you know you asked anybody what they really missed during the pandemic, and they said the same things.
“They said friends, family, live music, cinema.
“Those were the only things people missed.
“And a bit of travel as well,” she said.
“And then I thought, this is the one good thing about the pandemic. It’s making people, you know, nay-say the people who said cinema was on the way out.
“It’s given it a bit of a boost.”
Tilda Swinton is so over COVID mandates on film sets: “I’m about to shoot a picture in Ireland, and I was told to wear a mask at all times, and I’m not.” https://t.co/ojz0pJxefY
— Variety (@Variety) March 13, 2023
READ MORE: CBS: Soaring Heart Attacks Due to Lack of Masking
