Mark Ruffalo says he believes he’s “already on a list” after speaking out against the proposed merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery.
During an appearance on the Thursday (May 14) episode of the I’ve Had It podcast, the Oscar-nominated actor told host Jennifer Welch that many people in Hollywood were initially too scared to publicly oppose the deal.
According to Ruffalo, several entertainers feared possible backlash from Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison and his billionaire father, Larry Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle.
“It’s interesting because a lot of people off the bat were afraid,” Ruffalo said around the eight-minute mark of the interview. “They’re afraid because, to quote one prominent agent whose name I won’t divulge, ‘These are some vindictive motherfuckers, the Ellisons.’”
The Task actor went on to explain that more people have slowly started speaking up despite those fears.
“But I have to say the few who have been fearful have already started to change and come out,” Ruffalo added. “Since that time, we’ve had another 2,000 people sign on to the letter. What we know is that courage is contagious and that there’s safety in numbers. A lot of the people on this letter are people who either can afford to be there, like myself, or those who can’t afford to not be there. They’re fighting for their lives. The stakes are very, very high.”
Ruffalo pointed to the Disney-Fox merger as an example of the fallout he believes can happen after major media companies combine, arguing that the industry lost jobs along with numerous TV shows and movies that were already in development.
The actor also raised concerns about journalism, warning that the merger would place both CBS and CNN under the Ellisons’ control.
He specifically criticized CBS for recently featuring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 60 Minutes, referring to Netanyahu as an “accused war criminal.”
“He would have never been on 60 Minutes outside of this regime,” Ruffalo said, while noting that more journalists have started joining the campaign opposing the merger.
Ruffalo also claimed Hollywood agencies would eventually realize their clients could “suffer more from sitting back and letting this happen than getting out and fighting next to us—the unions too.”
He continued, “I just want to speak to that fear thing, because I have fear. I’m not doing this because I’m fearless. I’m doing this because I know we have to. And I know that no matter what, if I don’t speak out, it’s the same outcome. I’m already on a list, I’m already not a friend of these people. And so, you’re either gonna fight or you’re gonna lay down.”
Back in March, Netflix reportedly withdrew from its competing bid for Warner Bros. after Paramount Skydance submitted what was described as a stronger $31-per-share offer.
According to TMZ, the proposed acquisition is valued at $110 billion, while Deadline previously reported Netflix had signed an $82.7 billion agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery before the Ellison-backed takeover bid surfaced.
The opposition letter against the merger was reportedly organized by the Committee for the First Amendment, the Future Film Coalition, the Writers Guild of America, and the Democracy Defenders Fund.
