Hollywood in shock over Trump victory

Lady Gaga besieged Trump Tower. Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence penned a thoughtful essay. Miley Cyrus posted a tearful video.

Hillary Clinton's celebrity supporters were in deep mourning Thursday as Hollywood came to terms with Republican Donald Trump's stunning election as US president.

Pop princess Katy Perry, whose Twitter followers outnumber the populations of most European countries, urged her fans not to "sit still" or "weep." 

"We are not a nation that will let hate lead us," she said.

Gaga, who sang at Clinton's final campaign rally on Monday and demonstrated Wednesday on the sidewalk outside Trump Tower in Manhattan with a sign that read "Love Trumps Hate," continued her protest Thursday via social media.

Meanwhile, Lawrence said she had no words of comfort for women who had concluded the "glass ceiling" for women in public office would never be broken.

"I don't know what I would tell my daughter if I were you. Except to have hope. To work for the future," she wrote for Broadly, a channel geared toward women.

Cyrus began to cry on a video posted to Twitter as she said: "And so, Donald Trump, I accept you, and this hurts to say, but I even accept you as the president of the United States."

- 'Wild card' -

Actors, directors and studio executives donated $22 million to Clinton's run for the White House, compared with less than $300,000 for Trump.

Shell-shocked celebrities have been weighing up the implications of a Trump administration on the famously liberal film industry since Clinton conceded the election.

Rich Greenfield, a media analyst at BTIG Research, said in a blog post Trump might seek revenge on Hollywood, writing that there was "certainly an unquantifiable risk for the sector overall."

"Donald J. Trump was a wild card as a candidate. We will see if the same applies to his presidency," he added.

Chris Evans, JK Rowling, Amanda Seyfried, Kristen Bell, Cher, Ariana Grande, Seth MacFarlane and Rashida Jones were among a long list of celebrities lining up to voice their dismay on social media. 

In Trump's corner were a small but vocal group of stars who couldn't wait to congratulate their candidate, among them Kirstie Alley, Azealia Banks, Hulk Hogan, Stephen Baldwin and Roseanne Barr.

"Great faith in God works. Mr @realDonaldTrump I'm proud to call you President of the United States of America," tweeted "Happy Days" actor Scott Baio, who spoke at the Republican national convention this summer.

- Somber tone -

Jeff Bock, a senior box office analyst for Exhibitor Relations, was focusing on the positives of a Trump presidency, pointing out that Alec Baldwin might now renew his contract to impersonate Trump on "Saturday Night Live."

"Also, old white men with hairpieces will take their rightful place as the de facto bad guy in action films. No more pinning ultimate evil on minorities and robots for the time being," Bock told AFP.

He predicted that audiences could expect to see many more political movies towards the end of Trump's first term.

"Activism within documentary circles will likely increase, too, as celebrities and various industry power players will use their leverage to fight back against the GOP," he added. 

The late-night hosts have struck a somber tone since the election, with Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah and Samantha Bee sharing portentous messages and offering historical context among the usual jokes. 

Robert De Niro, who appeared on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on Wednesday, was asked if he still wanted to hit Trump in the face.

The 73-year-old "Raging Bull" actor had appeared in a viral video saying he would like to punch the then-nominee, describing him as a "punk" and a "bozo." 

"I can't do that now, he's president," he told Kimmel. "And I have to respect that position... We have to see what he's going to do and how he's really going to follow through on certain things."

Source: AFP