Lena Headey slams 'protection' Hollywood's 'predators' receive
Lena Headey has blasted the protection given to "predatory men" in Hollywood because of a perceived power imbalance.
Lena Headey has blasted the protection given to "predatory men" in Hollywood.
The Game of Thrones actress has previously accused disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein of making suggestive comments to her and later attempting to lure her to a hotel room, questioning whether her rejecting his advances had affected her career, and she's now stressed that her frustration lies with more than just the former Miramax executive because of an overall power imbalance in the industry.
She told the Daily Telegraph newspaper: “The weird protection that we offer predatory men in the business, because of the disproportionate power they wield set against the need among vulnerable actresses to work to put food on the table to get the job — it makes me very angry.
“A job can be completely soured by one person who, for some reason, is allowed to get away with it.”
The 52-year-old star praised the #MeToo movement for bringing about change and making younger actresses feel more confident in standing up for themselves.
She said: “It was only when the #MeToo movement erupted [in 2017] that we realised — oh, this is everywhere.
“I think most young women I speak to now in this business are so savvy. The attitude today is, ‘I’m not f****** doing that.’ "
Although intimacy coordinators are much more common now, Lena insisted it doesn't mean actors always feel comfortable shooting sensitive moments.
She said: "Oh, even today you can still be on set where no one really cares [about the actors]. You can be doing a nude scene and someone will say, ‘Okay, put this large lumpy mat against your groin’. But I’m in my 50s now and I feel more in control. It’s a different game.”
The Brothers Grimm actress recalled how she often accepted uncomfortable situations in her younger days because she was so grateful to have a job.
She said: “When I started out there was this rite of passage all young female actors had to go through, which usually involved snogging and falling in love, and having sex and showing your boobs. They’d call them the ingenue parts, to make it sound nicer.
“I just got on with it. I didn’t go to drama school so I would just arrive on a set and be, ‘Oh my God, I’ve got a job.’
"And when it came to those moments, I don’t think I even questioned that I should be safe. Instead I’d go home and cry, or think, ‘Oh, that felt weird and too familiar.’ Now I look back and feel, ‘Hmm, that was rough.’”
