With Silo, the actor – known for his strong political stances – is still choosing roles he truly believes in that echo real life. But he’s now concerned about the wider future of his own industry, too

Before I speak to Tim Robbins, the publicist for the series that he’s promoting, Apple TV+’s dystopian drama Silo, politely requests that our conversation sticks to the show and his wider career. No politics please. It’s a brave attempt at reputation management, and also a completely doomed one. Because, well … this is Tim Robbins! Has there ever been a Hollywood star more associated with the free mixing of performance and politics?

This is the man, after all, who was banned, along with his then partner Susan Sarandon, from presenting at the Oscars after using their hosting stint at the 1993 ceremony to draw attention to the plight of Haitians being held in Guantánamo Bay; who, again along with Sarandon, became a hate figure after forcefully opposing the war in Iraq; and who – in marionette form, at least – came to a fiery end as a liberal do-gooder taking on the Team America: World Police puppets.