Bill Pullman has offered advice to Americans on the importance of wearing “freedom masks” to combat the coronavirus in a new video, interspersed with shots from Independence Day to mark the American public holiday.

Pullman, who played President Thomas J. Whitmore in the 1996 blockbuster, is introduced as “the most presidential actor of all time” in clip, released yesterday (July 4) via Alamo Drafthouse.

“Hello America. I may not be your president right now, but I’ve got to tell you that Fourth of July is still my favourite holiday, and it always will be,” Pullman’s speech begins.

“This Independence Day, I’m going to be celebrating my freedom in an important way. I’m going to be wearing my freedom mask every time I go into public. That’s right – freedom mask. Because if all of America agreed to wear one of these going into public places, we’d be a little closer to being free to safely go back to places like bars and restaurants and schools and, most importantly, movie theaters,” he said.

Watch the full video below:

Pullman wasn’t the only celebrity to advocate for the use of masks in public places on July 4, after Lady Gaga showcased a personalised face mask based around her recent album ‘Chromatica’ yesterday.

Showing off a picture of her wearing the studded mask with the album title written on it, Gaga wrote: “Be yourself, but wear a mask! I believe in being kind to yourself, the community, and the planet.

“I challenge my awesome friends to show off their mask,” she continued, before tagging friends and collaborators Ariana Grande and Tony Bennett, alongside Barack and Michelle Obama and Oprah.