Will Poulter Says It’s “Really Upsetting” to See Americans Forget the Country Was Built by Immigrants
British actor Will Poulter is using his spotlight at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival to address the social fabric of both the United States and his native United Kingdom. While attending the world premiere of his new film Union County, the actor expressed a deep frustration with the current rhetoric surrounding immigration in Western nations.
I feel the same way about my home country in the UK, Poulter remarked during a conversation with Variety. He further elaborated that it is really upsetting to observe U.S. citizens forget that we’re a country that we have immigrants to thank for.
These comments come at a time of heightened tension regarding border enforcement and domestic policy. The festival backdrop in Park City has seen filmmakers and actors reacting to reports of escalating violence involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Poulter acknowledged the delicate balance of being a public figure in a politically charged environment. I’m an actor, not an activist, he noted, but he maintained that he feels a responsibility to draw attention to certain things in society in order to motivate change.
#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
The film that brought him to Sundance, Union County, is a gritty, naturalistic drama directed by Adam Meeks. It follows Cody Parsons, played by Poulter, as he navigates a court-ordered recovery program in rural Ohio during the height of the opioid epidemic. The production is notable for its authenticity, featuring real-life members of an Ohio drug treatment center and non-professional actors playing themselves.
Will Poulter has been exceptionally busy recently, having appeared in the fourth season of the acclaimed series The Bear as the pastry chef Luca. He also recently starred in the war drama Warfare alongside his Union County co-star Noah Centineo. The duo’s chemistry is a highlight of Meeks’ new film, which also stars Emily Meade, Elise Kibler, and Annette Deao.
Looking ahead, Poulter’s schedule remains packed with high-profile projects set for release throughout 2026. He is slated to appear in Boots Riley’s science fiction comedy I Love Boosters, starring alongside Demi Moore and LaKeith Stanfield.
His role in Union County serves as a spiritual successor to his work in the miniseries Dopesick, where he played a pharmaceutical sales representative. In this new project, he explores the other side of the crisis, portraying a man trying to rebuild a hollowed-out life. The film’s focus on marginalized communities and the systemic failures that lead to addiction provides a somber context for his real-world comments on social gratitude and human rights.
What do you think about Will Poulter’s perspective on the role of immigrants in modern society and the responsibility of actors to speak on these issues in the comments?