Actor Matthew Modine shocked TV viewers on Tuesday when he used the "N" word during a political debate. The star appeared on The Bill O'Reilly Show to talk about his work promoting liberalism.

Modine used the term after being asked his opinion of Rev. Jeremiah Wright - U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama's former pastor - who had held a press conference the day before to defend his controversial sermons. Wright hit the headlines last month when it was revealed his fiery sermons included nationalist leanings and racist undertones aimed at white America.

The Chicago, Illinois minister made claims that the US government created the Aids virus to harm blacks and that the country brought the 9/11 terrorist attacks on itself. Obama has since severed ties to Rev. Wright, who married the senator and his wife and baptized the couple's children. And the poltically-active Modine waded into the war of words during his chat with newsman O'Reilly.

Asked to comment on Wright's outbursts, the actor said, "Well, I think of him as an older generation, an old American... And like my father used to say, you know, 'uppity n---er,' you know, when those kind of things that older generations would say about things. I feel that Reverend Wright is just of that older generation. He doesn't represent the America that we enjoy today."

The racially-offensive word was bleeped out of the broadcast.

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)