Hollywood marks 25 years since 9/11 with emotional tributes and remembrance

On the twenty-fifth anniversary of September 11th, Hollywood paused to mark a day that reshaped the nation. Across social media and public platforms, actors, musicians, and public figures shared reflections on the 2,977 people killed in the 2001 terrorist attacks—a moment that has not loosened its grip on the American consciousness even a quarter-century later.

Mark Wahlberg posted a video to Instagram of an American flag moving in the wind, accompanying it with a caption that acknowledged the weight of the day: the anniversary, he wrote, was always a gut punch of emotions, words insufficient to capture what the date demands. The phrase "freedom isn't free" underscored his post, a refrain that has become inseparable from how the country processes this particular loss.

Martha Stewart offered a more intricate remembrance, one rooted in the disorientation of distance. She was in Tokyo when the attacks unfolded on live television. For hours, she and those with her could not reach the United States, could not confirm the safety of family and friends. They remained fixed to the screen, watching the destruction of the World Trade Center towers, trying to determine how to return home. Eventually, they took a train to Kyoto, seeking refuge in peace and beauty amid the horror. A friend who was stranded in Paris urged them to visit the temple at Miho. What they found there carried an almost unbearable symmetry: the temple had been designed by Minoru Yamasaki, the same architect who had designed the World Trade Center. As they entered the deserted temple that day, an organ played "America the Beautiful." Stewart wrote of standing in awe and disbelief, all of them crying for those lost in the attack that changed America forever.

Dean Cain shared a selfie on X with an American flag visible behind him, a small cross and other items on a shelf nearby. The cross, he noted, was made from steel recovered from the fallen towers—a physical remnant transformed into an object of remembrance. Hugh Jackman posted a video montage on Instagram that included a black-and-white photograph of Ground Zero in the immediate aftermath, with the single word "REMEMBER" overlaid, and a call for followers to show up for one another at the 9/11 Memorial. Sarah Jessica Parker shared a video of New York's skyline with the beam of light rising behind One World Trade Center, a nightly fixture that has become the city's most visible act of remembrance.

The British royal family marked the anniversary as well, hosting a commemorative Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace that included performances of both national anthems, "Hymn to the Fallen," and "Amazing Grace." King Charles III and Queen Camilla had paid their respects at the 9/11 Memorial in New York during a state visit earlier in the year.

In New York City, the anniversary was marked through music and gathering. Cyndi Lauper performed alongside Lainey Wilson and John Ondrasik of Five For Fighting during "9/11 Tribute in Light: Live from Lower Manhattan," a concert designed to honor not only those killed but also the survivors, families, first responders, and entire communities whose lives were permanently altered by the day. The performances served as a reminder that a quarter-century has passed, yet the work of remembrance—of keeping the names and faces and stories alive—continues without end.