Hollywood Reacts to Joe Biden Exiting the Presidential Race

Cher. (AP)
Cher. (AP)
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Hollywood Reacts to Joe Biden Exiting the Presidential Race

Cher. (AP)
Cher. (AP)

Hollywood was quick to react to the news that President Joe Biden was ending his bid for reelection and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.

Barbra Streisand, a Democratic supporter, wrote Sunday on X that “we should be grateful for his upholding of our democracy.” While many paid tribute to Biden’s presidency, others wondered about the future.

Cher wrote on X that she was “tortured” because she doesn’t believe the Democrats could win without Biden. She said it was time to think “way outside the box” and proposed a split ticket.

In recent weeks, several high-profile Hollywood names had begun calling for Biden to exit the race. Just weeks after headlining a record-breaking fundraiser for the president's reelection campaign, George Clooney wrote a New York Times opinion piece calling for Biden to end his bid.

Clooney argued that the party should pick a new nominee, saying the process would be “messy” but “wake up” voters in the party’s favor.

Others who attended or participated in the starry fundraiser in Los Angeles included Julia Roberts, Streisand, Jimmy Kimmel, former President Barack Obama, Jack Black, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Kathryn Hahn and Jason Bateman.

Ralph, on Sunday, posted a photo of herself and Harris writing “President Biden has endorsed Kamala Harris!”

Here are some notable celebrity reactions:

Barbra Streisand

“Joe Biden will go down in history as a man who accomplished significant achievements in his 4-year term. We should be grateful for his upholding of our democracy.”

Cher

“In my heart im tortured, Because I Don’t believe the Democrats Can win the Presidency with Pres Biden. ‘Joe’ whom I’ve Loved since we met in 2008. I Campaigned for him I believe ITS TIME 2 PASS THE BATON. TIME 4 DEMS 2 THINK “WAY” OUTSIDE THE BOX. MAYBE EVEN A SPLIT TICKET.”

Mark Hamill

“@JoeBiden has a record of accomplishments unmatched by any president in our lifetime. He restored honesty, dignity & integrity to the office after 4 years of lies, crime, scandal & chaos. Thank you for your service, Mr. President. It’s now our duty as patriotic Americans to elect the Democrat who will honor & further your legacy.”

George Takei

“I want to honor our President @JoeBiden. He has served our nation admirably for decades, he is a decent honorable man, a hugely successful president, and a patriot. Now let us unite behind @KamalaHarris and defeat Donald Trump in November!”

Russell Brand

“Joe Biden has endorsed Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination after ending re-election bid. We’re in a wild world, mate.”



Selena Gomez Gets Her Due, Netflix and FX Top HBO and 2 Queen Elizabeths Get Nominated for Emmys

 This image released by Hulu shows, from left, Selena Gomez, Martin Short and Steve Martin in a scene from "Only Murders in the Building." (Patrick Harbron/Hulu via AP)
This image released by Hulu shows, from left, Selena Gomez, Martin Short and Steve Martin in a scene from "Only Murders in the Building." (Patrick Harbron/Hulu via AP)
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Selena Gomez Gets Her Due, Netflix and FX Top HBO and 2 Queen Elizabeths Get Nominated for Emmys

 This image released by Hulu shows, from left, Selena Gomez, Martin Short and Steve Martin in a scene from "Only Murders in the Building." (Patrick Harbron/Hulu via AP)
This image released by Hulu shows, from left, Selena Gomez, Martin Short and Steve Martin in a scene from "Only Murders in the Building." (Patrick Harbron/Hulu via AP)

With less overall entries due to the shortened TV season, this year's Emmy nominations probably won't spark any protest campaigns. The folks at FX should be popping bottles though for a stand-out year, with 93 nominations — including 25 nods for "Shogun" and 23 for "The Bear."

The nominations bring overdue acknowledgement for critical favorites like FX's "Reservation Dogs" and "What We Do in the Shadows" and fresh competition, including "Shogun" actors Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada.

Lily Gladstone and Kali Reis became the first female Indigenous actors to be nominated for Emmys — Gladstone for "Under the Bridge" and Reis for "True Detective: Night Country." "Reservation Dogs" was nominated in the best comedy series category, for what is its final season. D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai of "Reservation Dogs," will compete for lead actor in a comedy.

The Emmy Awards show will be held Sept. 15 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and air on ABC.

Here are other talking points, "snubs" and surprises from the Emmy nominations:

Competition for HBO

This year, HBO didn't have "Succession" or "The White Lotus" to bolster its Emmy nominations count, giving Netflix and FX an edge. Netflix leads with 107 nominations for programs including "Baby Reindeer" and "Ripley." FX comes in second, thanks in part to the continued roar of "The Bear" and newcomer "Shogun." HBO has 91 nominations. Even without "Ted Lasso," Apple TV+ also did well with 70 nods including for "The Morning Show" and "Slow Horses."

Justice for Selena

Hulu's "Only Murders in the Building" is a three-hander comedic mystery starring Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez. Until now, Emmy voters have acknowledged only Martin and Short in the best actor category. That changed Wednesday morning, with Gomez receiving a best actress nomination. She will compete against Quinta Brunson, Ayo Edebiri, Maya Rudolph, Jean Smart and Kristin Wiig.

"The Morning Show" wakes up

Emmy voters "The Morning Show" on Apple TV+ has always included current events in storylines, but the series about behind-the-scenes drama at a TV network took it up a notch with its third season, earning it its first Emmy nomination for outstanding drama.

The show's 10 episodes tackled topics including the hacking of a corporation, a media merger and fallout from the Jan. 6 insurrection in Washington.

Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon are both up for lead actress. Jon Hamm joins 2020 winner Billy Crudup and previous nominee Mark Duplass in the supporting actor category. "The Morning Show" also dominates the supporting actress field with nominations for Nicole Beharie, Greta Lee, Karen Pittman and Holland Taylor.

Emmy nods and a snub for Oscar winners

Emma Stone, the best actress winner at this year's Oscars for "Poor Things," did not get nominated for Showtime's "The Curse." Stone was mentioned in a number of predictions as a possible lead actress contender. The show itself was also overlooked in the drama series category.

Her fellow 2024 Oscar winners had better luck.

Robert Downey, Jr., who won the supporting actor Oscar for "Oppenheimer," is nominated in the supporting actor category for HBO’s "The Sympathizer." He plays four characters in the spy drama.

Da'Vine Joy Randolph, who took home the best supporting actress Oscar for "The Holdovers," is also now an Emmy nominee. Randolph is nominated in the guest actress category for an appearance on "Only Murders in the Building."

2 out of 3 Queen Elizabeths get a nomination

Claire Foy, whose portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in "The Crown" earned her a lead actress Emmy Award in 2018 and a guest actress Emmy in 2021, is now nominated again for a guest spot. Foy appeared in the final episode of the series as Imelda Staunton's Queen Elizabeth II pondered abdicating the throne.

Olivia Colman, who portrayed the queen in the third and fourth seasons, also made an appearance in the same episode but was not nominated. This isn't due to a snub, however, but a technicality where Colman didn't meet the nomination qualifications. She wasn't on camera long enough. Staunton, by the way, is nominated for best actress.