MTV’s Gregg Sulkin and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kailash Satyarthi support children’s rights at D.C. event.
By Anika Reed
Gregg Sulkin and Kailash Satyarthi (Photo by Daniel Swartz)
Gregg Sulkin, the star of MTV’s “Faking It,” joined forces with the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Kailash Satyarthi, in D.C. Tuesday afternoon to call for childhood freedom.
Sulkin and Satyarthi rallied on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at the Meet Up for Childhood Freedom, and both made speeches about worldwide children’s freedom—freedom from slavery, abuse and illiteracy. The event marked the 157th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s “House Divided” speech.
“Kailash [Satyarthi] is just an unbelievable man,” Sulkin said. “He does so much good work for the community worldwide, and I just thought it’d be the least I could do…to raise awareness and promote such an amazing cause.”
Satyarthi won the Nobel Prize based on his activism for children’s rights, and shares the honor with teenage Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai.
Sulkin and Satyarthi (Photo by Anika Reed)
“I think there are so many children out there who obviously aren’t given the freedom that they deserve and that’s obviously a problem,” the 23-year-old Sulkin said.
The MTV star has been active in children’s advocacy causes.
“I think it’s so important to start with the youth,” Sulkin said. “We’re all equal, and I think it’s so important to give everybody the opportunity and the resources and the facilities and the education and the freedom that everybody’s entitled to.”
Sulkin also presented at the Children Mending Hearts event earlier this month, where Disney actress Zendaya and “Pretty Little Liars” star Shay Mitchell received honors.
The London native spilled about the second half of season two of “Faking It.”
“You’re going to see a lot more drama, which then leads to comedic situations as a result,” Sulkin said. “Liam and Karma may separate for the first time throughout the show, so that’ll be interesting.”
The MTV show revolves around two girl friends who pretend to be a lesbian couple and the drama and humor that ensues. The show has been a relevant space for LGBTQ issues, and even featured transgender actress and activist Laverne Cox.
Gregg Sulkin (Photo by Anika Reed)
“Our show hopefully has done a lot to make [the LGBTQ community] feel at home and make them feel as equal as anybody else,” Sulkin said.
Audiences can catch Sulkin in his newest role in the upcoming horror film, “Don’t Hang Up.”
“I’m very proud of it,” Sulkin said. “I think to this day, it’s the proudest I’ve ever been about a project or a role before.”
While in D.C., Sulkin visited the White House and met with the United Nations Foundation.
“It was a very humbling experience, to be honest,” Sulkin said. “I never thought that I would be at the White House.”
Of course, Sulkin documented his White House visit with an Instagram picture channeling his “inner Barack [Obama].” Sulkin recently hit the one million followers mark on his Instagram and Twitter accounts.
“I never thought in a million years that I would ever see a million—no pun intended,” Sulkin said, laughing.
So what is Sulkin’s secret for the perfect Instagram post?
“Good lighting, not too filtered and try to keep it as true to yourself as possible,” Sulkin said.
