Bill Clinton Makes Surprise Appearance at 'Lion' Premiere in NYC

Said Harvey Weinstein: "I’ve seen the hate crimes, the antisemitism, the prejudice against women, LGBT, and the progress people made on climate control, all of that starting to be peeled away. But, as long as my friend is here with me, and with the American people, then I don't think we're gonna have to worry."

Bill Clinton made a surprise appearance at the New York premiere of Lion on Wednesday night.

The former president attended the Museum of Modern Art screening, with castmembers Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman and Sunny Pawar in tow. The drama's subject, Saroo Brierley, and his parents, Sue and John Brierley, were also present.

Directed by Garth Davis and adapted from Saroo Brierley's memoir, A Long Way Home, Lion tells the true story of how a wrong train takes a 5-year-old Indian boy hundreds of miles from home. After overcoming many challenges, he is adopted by an Australian couple. Twenty-five years later and haunted by memories of his childhood, he learns of a new technology called Google Earth and sets out to find his lost family.

While introducing the film, Harvey Weinstein announced the presence of Clinton, who then received a standing ovation.

"Last Tuesday, we suffered a nightmare as a country," the longtime Clinton supporter said. "I’ve seen the hate crimes, the antisemitism, the prejudice against women, LGBT, and the progress people made on climate control, all of that starting to be peeled away. But, as long as my friend is here with me, and with the American people, then I don't think we're gonna have to worry. We're gonna have to fight, but at least we've got someone who is an inspiration."

The evening continued with a bash at Google's New York headquarters.

Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton made her first public appearance after the presidential election by speaking at the annual gala of the Children's Defense Fund, the child advocacy organization where she started her legal career.

Lion hits theaters Nov. 25.