Helen Mirren Had Sexist Run-In with Director Michael Winner?
Filed under: Casting, Celebrities and Controversy, Newsstand
Over the years, lots of news has come out about lusting directors wanting more than just a read-through during casting calls. This is nothing new, but it may be surprising to hear about it regarding Helen Mirren. The Guardian reports that in a recent television interview, she spoke harshly of director Michael Winner (Appointment with Death) and a casting session back in 1964 -- a few years before she even had her first feature role in Herostratus.She says that he treated her "like a piece of meat," and asked her flaunt her body and spin for a casting session. "I was mortified and incredibly angry. I thought it was insulting and sexist, and I don't think any actress should be treated like that -- like a piece of meat -- at all." The director-turned-restaurant critic, meanwhile, has an entirely different story, or at least, he seems to think so. He shared his version of things over at The Mail, and it is, well, interesting.
In his story, she was an actress with "sagging bosoms" who refused to wear a bra. Her then-agent supposedly was at a loss, so she convinced Winner to help try and convince her. But even after this whole story about how he was just trying to be of help, he said: "Now I don't mind that Helen looks back on those days as humiliating, but I'll tell you something else, Helen: even after that period, for years after I still asked girls to stand up away from my desk so I could get a good look at them." Okay, Winner, thanks for sharing.
Really, it's not like Mirren shied away from racy fare. She isn't complaining about sexist troubles when she read to star as Caesonia in Penthouse's Caligula, or as a prostitute in Hussy. If she isn't complaining about a Guccione production, that says something.* We'll never know what happened for sure, but at least its an entirely strange story for the weekend.
*Edited thanks to the catch by Rich. You're absolutely right!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
12-16-2007 @ 1:43PM
Rich Drees said...
Caligula wasn't a Playboy production and Hef had nothing to do with it. It was produced by Penthouse publisher Bob Guiccione.
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12-17-2007 @ 11:07AM
Richard von Busack said...
And another thing--Winner could have seen very much what Mirren looked like in Age of Consent, so she wasn't opposed to nude scenes.
Hell with it, I'm on her side. Pauline Kael called Winner "the most inaptly named man in showbiz." What a CV of crap movies...
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12-17-2007 @ 9:10PM
Carla said...
The author of this article obviously doesn't understand sexual harrassment laws or issues. The final paragraph was uncalled for and sexist. The "off the cuff" remarks made at the end of the article is like comparing apples to oranges. It's like saying a woman who wears a short skirt is asking to be molested. Why share the incident and the anger Mirren felt and then act like she had no business complaining---sounds like the author of this post needs to think again about what she's spouting off about.
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12-17-2007 @ 9:24PM
Mandy said...
Oh my god.. the magazine Hollywood Gossip said Helen met Micheal on the rich people matchmaking online service sugarcupid. i really think it is just a joke..
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12-17-2007 @ 9:53PM
Kylie said...
You are a complete idiot if you can not tell the difference between an actress doing her job...and inviting sexual harassment on the casting couch. I understand if you meant to say no one will ever know what truly happens but it sounds like you meant if a person plays a role that is risky they invite this type of behavior.
You are more than nuts.
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12-17-2007 @ 9:56PM
Karen Robbins said...
Who cares? I see 15 minutes of fame here. Next.....
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12-17-2007 @ 10:37PM
The Truth said...
Right on casting couch!! Yeee haaa!!
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12-17-2007 @ 11:03PM
valdowd said...
well, in 1964, she would have been quite young and "sagging bosoms" would have been rather unlikely.
most actresses have stories of some director or casting person behaving badly.
the interesting thing is that most of the really good directors or producers haven't seemed to need to behave that way thru the years.
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12-17-2007 @ 11:04PM
Cheryl said...
My father was an actor and the stories he could tell about the casting couch nonsense... mind you he wasn't straight either...and he was hit on by both men and women... And no he wasn't anyone famous just another character actor with many TV and movies under his belt before he died. Many were ok and never suggested anything, but then again many were not. It is a shame when they do that. It is degrading to both men and women. I am glad I am not an actress.... just a grandmother and wife.
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12-17-2007 @ 11:19PM
Joe Papierz Jr said...
What? Am I Rip Van Winkle or what? This happened in 1964 and she is just now "telling all"? If true why did she keep her anger and humiliation bottled up for so long and not come forward years ago? I think "someone" thinks her career needs a booster shot.
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12-17-2007 @ 11:21PM
mike1615 said...
1964!!!!!
Jesus H Christ. Get over it.
This is news?
AOL you continue to amaze me.
Thank God you are free. No one in their right mind would continue to pay for this crap.
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12-17-2007 @ 11:29PM
Richard Smith said...
Let me see if I understand...a female actress will do a nude scene, be in bed doing the bump and grind within a movie role, flaunt her body and boobs to the camera...but will be offended if a casting director asks her to spin and jiggle while he watches....uh huh!
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12-17-2007 @ 11:38PM
Celia Javadi said...
Helen Mirren did NOT have sagging boobs in 1964 when she was 18 or 19 years old! What a lot of crap! Back in 1964, I was alive then, women and girls didn't "tell" when we were molested - trust me, I know this one personally. We were advised that we were to keep our mouths shut and not cause trouble, and we were advised that seduction was not illegal - at least, I was. The anger doesn't go away until it finally gets heard and validated, however long that takes.
It is NOT true that if a woman takes her clothes off for one reason, she has to take them off for every reason. That reasoning is also going back to the middle 1960's reasoning that if an unmarried woman has sex with one man she has no right to ever say no to another man. That reasoning is also a lot of crap. A woman ALWAYS has the right to say no.
And by the way, invalidated victims of molestation do tend to act out their injuries. Her racy movies came AFTER 1964. The unkind judgments in this article show the author knows absolutely NOTHING about sex offenders or sex offenses. Authors should not write about things they know nothing about.
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12-17-2007 @ 11:38PM
Kevan said...
i'm a little concerned that Winner can remember what Helen's "bosom" looked like in 1964...that was 43 years ago!!!!!!seriously, he remembers that??? i don't call that harrassment...i call that a mental illness!!!(Hey "Winner"...they have meds for that now)
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12-17-2007 @ 11:48PM
ovenpopper said...
WOMEN TODAY ARE NOTHING BUT WHORESD
WHY?? BECAUSE OF THE FEMINIST MOVEMENT AND LESBIAN LIBBERS
WE NEED TO REPEAL THE 19TH AMENMENT
LIMIT WOMEN DRIVERS
PASS LAWS RELEGATING THEM TO PROPERTY
I LIKE THE SAUDI IDEA OF NOT GOING OUT IN PUBLIC WITHOUT A MALE RELATIVE
KEEP WOMEN FROM JURY DUTY OWNING LAND OR BUSINESS
KEEP THEM OUT OF THE COURTROOM NO WOMEN LAWYERS, JUDGES OR EVEN TESTIFYING IN COURT
WHO AGREES? E MAIL ME
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12-17-2007 @ 11:51PM
ovenpopper said...
WOMEN ARE PROPERTY AND IF SHE WANTS TO TAKE OFF HER CLOTHES FOR A MOVIE,,, WELL, MEN HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT
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12-17-2007 @ 11:53PM
Bobby Dee said...
"I think "someone" thinks her career needs a booster shot."
Hey, idiot, she won an Oscar last year, so I don't think her career exactly needs boosting at the moment.
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12-18-2007 @ 12:09AM
Kevan said...
ovenpopper....all i can say is......wow...wow....omg wow.......wait, you pay for aol???....ahhhhh ha ha ha ha ha
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12-18-2007 @ 12:15AM
LillieFaerie said...
Lets see. 1964. Going braless didn't hit here until 1968-69. I can completely understand her situation. In those years, I don't know how many employers tried to cop a feel, or walk up behind me and get close. Laws changed in the 90's and made things much better. I quit numerous jobs just to get away from those types sleezeballs. I have not doubt that she's being quite honest about it.
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12-18-2007 @ 12:20AM
Willow said...
I just don't get it. What in the hell would a "casting couch director" want with homely Helen Mirren? I'm not saying that any kind of crime of sex has to do with what someone looks like. I'm just saying that Helen Mirren is a double bagger!!!
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