‘Independence Day’ star Bill Pullman urges Americans to wear a ‘freedom mask’ in July 4 PSA

Bill Pullman, the actor who played played the fictional President Thomas J. Whitmore in the hit 1996 film “Independence Day,” urged Americans to wear a “freedom mask” in an anti-coronavirus public service announcement (PSA) released on July 4.

“I may not be your president anymore, but I gotta tell you the 4th of July is still my favorite holiday and always will be,” Pullman said in the video posted on Saturday, interspersed with footage from the movie. 

“I’m going to be wearing my freedom mask every time I go into public places,” Pullman said in the PSA, made by Alamo Drafthouse. “That’s right, freedom mask. Because if everybody decided to wear one of these when going to public places we’d be a little closer to being free to safely go back to places like bars or restaurants, and schools, and most importantly movie theaters.”

The video comes amid rising cases of coronavirus in the U.S. Public health officials have recommended wearing masks in public spaces, but masks requirements vary by locality. 

In May, Pullman responded to a doctored “Independence Day” clip — created by the pro-Trump account Mad Liberals and tweeted by President Trump — that featured the audio of Pullman’s rousing speech from the alien-invasion blockbuster with the heads of Trump and various Republican allies superimposed on it.

“My voice belongs to no one but me, and I’m not running for president — this year,” Pullman said in a statement to Deadline at the time.