The outspoken Hollywood star John Cusack, who has spoken up about political issues around the world, voices his support for the Indian students protesting across the country. He had earlier backed the CAA protests as well.

Hollywood actor John Cusack is the first international artist to send his support to the ongoing student protests in the country. Cusack, who is the younger brother of Toy Story 5 voice star Joan Cusack, spoke up and reacted to the protests after the NEET-UG 2026 examination leak that began in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and spread across the country. The High Fidelity star has consistently reacted to several world and political issues on his social media. The Chicago native is also a vocal supporter of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who is the son of Indian filmmaker Mira Nair.

The actor shared news on X (formerly Twitter) of the student protests in India and called it ‘beautiful news’. In 2019 and 2020, the Being John Malkovich actor had also shared links and news about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests. The protests began earlier this month as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and Ladakhi activist  embarked on a hunger strike to demand accountability after the NEET-UG 2026 examination leak in May 2026.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has launched an investigation, and several individuals have been arrested. The re-test took place on June 21, 2026. While the protestors met with representatives of the central government on Tuesday, the same day as the exam, the protests have continued across the country, with students gathering in cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru and even marching far away in the state of Manipur.

While he is active on social media, Cusack remains a bit reclusive in the film and TV industry. The writer-actor was last seen in the Hollywood projects Fog of War and Detective Chinatown 1900 in 2025. In March 2026, Cusack made a rare appearance at the Oscars awards ceremony as he joined other celebrities such as Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Annette Bening and Daphne Zuniga on stage to pay tribute to late filmmaker Rob Reiner. The director and his wife, Michelle Singer Reiner, were murdered in their Los Angeles home by their son Nick Reiner in December 2025.

The 60-year-old actor often takes part in live audience question-and-answer sessions for special retrospective screenings of his classic Hollywood films like Say Anything and Grosse Pointe Blank from the 1980s and 1990s, respectively. His elder sisters Joan and Ann are also actors who have kept a low profile in Hollywood.