A clip of actor Ayo Edebiri reacting to a question that explicitly excluded her during an interview with Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield has gone viral, reigniting debate over who gets to speak about race and gender in Hollywood.
The exchange occurred during a promotional appearance for the film After the Hunt in an interview conducted by Italian outlet ArtsLife TV. Film journalist Federica Polidoro asked Roberts and Garfield, not Edebiri, "what to expect in Hollywood after the #MeToo movement and the Black Lives Matter are done," a framing that drew immediate, uncomfortable reactions from the cast.
Garfield visibly turned toward his co-stars and laughed uneasily, and Roberts appeared incredulous, asking Polidoro to repeat the question and quipping, "With your sunglasses on, I can’t tell which of us you’re talking to." Edebiri, who initially looked shocked as the question was addressed only to Roberts and Garfield, nevertheless spoke up. "Yeah, I know that that’s not for me, and I don’t know if it’s purposeful it’s not for me, but I just am curious. I don’t think it’s done. I don’t think it’s done at all," she said. "I think maybe hashtags might not be used as much, but I do think that there’s work being done by activists, by people, every day, that’s beautiful, important work that’s not finished — that’s really, really, really active for a reason, ’cause this world is really charged. And that work isn’t finished at all."
Polidoro doubled down in the clip, reiterating that her question was directed at Roberts and Garfield and asserting that "the politically correct era" was over. The exchange, which was posted and circulated widely on social media, prompted immediate backlash aimed at the interviewer for excluding Edebiri from a question about movements that have centered the voices and experiences of women and people of color.
After the clip drew criticism online, Polidoro posted a statement on Instagram defending her approach. She wrote that the discussion had become focused on how she phrased the question rather than on what she described as the "thoughtful responses of Ayo Edebiri, Julia Roberts, and Andrew Garfield," and said that all contributions were "reported in full in the published interview, without any omissions." Polidoro also rejected accusations of racism, noting her own family background as "multi-ethnic, matriarchal, and feminist, with a significant history of immigration," and said she reserves the right to "seek legal protection" against online attacks.
The interview was part of the cast's promotion of After the Hunt, directed by Luca Guadagnino, which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival last month. The psychological thriller, scheduled for release on Oct. 10, stars Roberts as a college professor caught between an accusation of sexual assault and competing loyalties; Edebiri plays Maggie, a philosophy student who accuses Andrew Garfield’s character, Hank, of assault.
Observers and commentators on social media noted that Polidoro’s framing appeared to assume a finished chapter in cultural movements that many activists and commentators continue to see as active and ongoing. Edebiri’s immediate decision to answer despite not being directly addressed was framed by many users as illustrative of whose perspectives are often centered — or excluded — in public discussions about systemic issues.
Representatives for Edebiri, Roberts, Garfield and ArtsLife TV did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The viral clip and the subsequent exchange reflect ongoing tensions over who is invited to speak on matters of race and gender in entertainment press cycles even as those subjects remain central to public conversations about industry practices and accountability.