New York, May 15: Hollywood veteran Robert De Niro made a subtle jab at Republican presidential presumptive nominee Donald Trump while accepting the Excellence in Media honour at the GLAAD Media Awards.
The award ceremony took place last night in New York, said The Hollywood Reporter.
"You think you've got it bad, LBGT community? I don't think you know what it's like to be really discriminated against," De Niro quipped upon taking the stage.
Making a reference to Marco Rubio's "small hands" comments that fueled the feud between the former candidate and Trump, De Niro said, "I recently turned on the television news and saw this odd guy with little hands, and he was raving. Turns out, the ones being discriminated against are straight, middle-aged white men."
The actor went on to take another jab at Hollywood's diversity issue, joking that he'd lost out on many roles to the likes of Michael B Jordan, John Boyega and Jennifer Lawrence.
"It makes sense. I've been losing parts right and left to what used to be called 'diversity actors,'" he said.
"One that really hurts, seeing the role of Dr Dre in Straight Outta Compton going to Corey Hawkins. And I can't remember the last time I got a Teen Choice Award... It's not easy being a straight, white man."
Ending his speech on a more serious note, De Niro, 72, left the audience with empowering words on the importance of supporting LGBT rights.
"As an actor, I don't judge the characters I play. As a person, I don't judge the characters I play with," he said to cheers and applause from the crowd.
"I was fortunate to grow up in an atmosphere where freedom of expression in art and in life were the norms. Now, we have to look outside our bubble to the world where, because of religious beliefs or ignorance or mean-spiritedness, it's not so easy."
He concluded, "I'm proud to stand with you. I'm GLAAD."
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