While Average Joes and sixth-graders aren’t allowed to tour the White House these days, Michelle Obama continues to go out of her way to make sure Hollywood celebrities feel right at home in the “people’s house.”
“I want to make sure that you all know how welcome you are here in this house, because the truth is we do these things — we make sure that we do these workshops so that you all know that this is your house, too,” she told told a group of Hollywood stars visiting the White House for a workshop on the upcoming film “42.”
“So we want you to make yourselves at home,” she continued. “We want you to feel good and relaxed and learn and ask questions, okay?”
The movie, which comes out on April 12, is based on the life of Brooklyn (now L.A.) Dodgers star Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play in the major leagues. In attendance for the workshop were actors Harrison Ford and Chadwick Boseman, director Brian Helgeland, and Robinson’s widow, Rachel.
The First Lady told the group that she and the president watched the film over the weekend and insisted that “this country needs to watch this movie.”
While Mrs. Obama may not have the power to mandate that all Americans see the movie, she does have that power over her two teenage children. “They are definitely going to watch this movie,” she added.
This is not the first time the First Lady has invited Hollywood stars to her home —er — the people’s home.
She has also hosted the casts of “Beasts of the Southern Wild’ and “Lincoln,” which were both nominated for Best Picture at this year’s Academy Awards. The First Lady also announced the winner of that category, “Argo,” via satellite during the awards show in February.
At this rate, she’ll be hosting the Oscars by 2016.
