Will Poulter Calls Out Americans for Forgetting the Country Was Built by Immigrants
Will Poulter spoke out about immigration while attending the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, using the moment to share his frustration with how the issue is being discussed in both the United States and the United Kingdom. His comments were shared during an interview with Variety at the festival in Park City, where he was promoting his new film Union County.
Poulter said the current tone around immigration makes him uncomfortable, especially when people forget how much immigrants have shaped modern countries. I feel the same way about my home country in the UK, he said.
He added that it is really upsetting to see people in the U.S. forget that we’re a country that we have immigrants to thank for. His remarks came during a tense time, as conversations around border policy and enforcement continue to dominate headlines.
#WillPoulter says it's “really upsetting” to see U.S. citizens “forget that we're a country that we have immigrants to thank for.”
— Variety (@Variety) January 25, 2026
“I feel the same way about my my home country in the UK.”
Poulter spoke to Variety at the @sundanceorg premiere of “Union County,” a drama centered… pic.twitter.com/T70L8VgUFk
Poulter was careful to explain his position as a public figure. I’m an actor, not an activist, he said, but he also explained that he feels it is important to draw attention to certain things in society if it can help motivate change. He described speaking up as a responsibility that comes with visibility, even if it makes people uncomfortable.
The reason Poulter was at Sundance was the world premiere of Union County, a drama directed by Adam Meeks. The film follows a man named Cody Parsons, played by Poulter, who is ordered by a court to enter a recovery program in rural Ohio during the opioid crisis. According to production notes shared during the festival, the movie uses real members of a local drug treatment center, with many people playing versions of themselves to keep the story grounded and realistic.
Union County also stars Noah Centineo, Emily Meade, Elise Kibler, and Annette Deao. Poulter and Centineo previously worked together on the war film Warfare, and their connection carries into this new project. The film focuses on people living on the edges of society and the systems that often fail them, which closely connects to the themes Poulter discussed off screen.
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