Bill Pullman Celebrates ‘Independence Day’ By Telling Us To Wear “Freedom Masks”

In the 1996 film Independence Day, President Thomas J. Whitmore, aka actor Bill Pullman, tried to rally his ragtag troops against an alien invasion.

On Independence Day 2020, he’s at it again. But this time, he’s hoping to inspire a battle against an invisible enemy by using masks instead of fighter planes.

Pullman appeared in an online Alamo Drafthouse PSA video asking people to please wear what he termed “freedom masks” when they’re out in public. The masks are seen by him as a way to limit new COVID-19 cases and get us all back to the freedom of going to bars, restaurants, schools, and, of course, movie theaters.

“I may not be your President anymore,” Pullman says. “But I gotta tell you, the 4th of July is still my favorite holiday and always will be. I’m going to be wearing my freedom mask every time I go into public places.”

The speech was interspersed with a few quick shots culled from the Independence Day film, cutting back to Pullman seemingly mocking the attack on the alien ships by waving a toy plane in the PSA.

“I’d much rather have you see me fly that plane on the big screen,” he joked, concluding, “I’m Bill Pullman, and I approved this message.”