An English actor has dedicated his prestigious acting award to South Sudanese children and aid workers in the country.
Tom Hiddleston took home the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television on Sunday.
During the function held over the weekend, the 35-year-old used his acceptance speech as an opportunity to call attention to the South Sudan crisis.
He told the gathering and millions of viewers that “there is terrible situation happening to children” and called for intervention.
However, the speech has caused uproar among social media users, who accused Hiddleston of being a ‘white savior’ to the people of South Sudan.
In his remarks, Hiddletson had told the gathering about volunteering with the United Nations Children’s Fund in South Sudan and meeting aid workers who are tackling the humanitarian situation.
He then went on to say that the workers in Juba all wanted to meet him because they had just been watching all six episodes of his show, The Night Manager, and that he was able to ‘provide’ them with ‘relief’ because of his acting in the show.
“My only intention was to salute the incredible bravery and courage of the men and women who work so tirelessly for UNICEF UK, Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and World Food Programme, and the children of South Sudan, who continue to find hope and joy in the most difficult conditions,” he wrote on his Facebook page Tuesday.
He said: “I apologize that my nerves got the better of me.”
Hiddleston has been acting since 2001. His latest movies include Kong: Skull Island, due for release on March 10, and also Thor: Ragnarok coming out on November 3, among others.
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