Full Actresses Roundtable: Saoirse Ronan, Jennifer Lawrence, Mary J Blige | Close Up With THR

(uptempo music) - Hello and welcome to Close Up with the Hollywood Reporter

actresses

. I'm Mateo Belloni. I would like to welcome our guests today. Saoirse Ronan. Allison Janey. Maria J. Blige. Emma Stone. Jennifer Lawrence. And Jessica Chastain. Let us begin. Obviously the headlines in Hollywood this year are incidents of alleged harassment after incidents of alleged harassment in the industry. Some people believe that the entertainment industry will never be the same. I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this and whether all of these stories that are coming out will lead to real change, and we'll start with Jessica. - I hope the entertainment industry will never be the same again.

I mean, if you look at Louis B. Mayer, Fatty Arbuckle, and Jack Warner, you read Shirley Temple's book, you find out what happened to her as a child, there's a history of abuse against women in our industry, and it's never been addressed, and I think I'm devastated by all the stories that have come to light because it's heartbreaking, but at the same time I feel hopeful that we won't ignore it anymore. Change is painful, but it is necessary. It was necessary many years ago, but what is emerging now are abuses not only in terms of gender, but there are many things that need to change in Hollywood, and I think the industry will become extinct unless we show a more modern version of the world. that is presented to us. -Do you feel a sense of almost vindication that these stories are being told? - Yes, I think the big mistake is that this happens only in the entertainment industry.

I mean, once again, the entertainment industry is the stage where you can see the inner workings and problems that exist around the world. The only reason there is so much attention paid to the entertainment industry is because these people are famous. If a flight attendant talks about a pilot, she doesn't end up on the news because no one knows. That doesn't mean there is less sexual abuse anywhere else in the world, in any other workplace, but thank

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y we're starting the conversation now. - Do you agree with that, or is there something specific about being an actress where there is a power dynamic and someone is in a position to make or break a career and exploit an actress in that way? - Well, I think what you're referring to is definitely true.

We see these people. Maybe they make headlines in a different way, or what we do makes headlines in a different way, but no, I think it's a pandemic. It's across all industries. There's a really amazing article that Brit Marling wrote that essentially said that if we were paid equally, if women were paid equally across all industries, this wouldn't happen. I mean, this is something that women have to fit into these different boxes for so many years just to get a job, and if these things are happening, and they bring them to people's attention, they are much more likely to be fired or laid off in any industry than a man in a more powerful position, so I think it's a great conversation for our industry, for sure.

But I hope this is just the turning point so that all industries can discuss equal pay for equal work for women in all industries because that has been a change that we have needed since the beginning of time and the industry . - Yes. (everyone laughs) - Have these stories been presented? Have they made you look at things throughout your career in perhaps a different light and re-evaluate some of the interactions you may have had? - I feel very lucky to have not experienced any type of harassment. The only reason I can think that is because I'm 5ft 15in and my career didn't start until later, when I was 38, and my life started in the theatre.

I did not experience this and yet I was always attentive to the casting. That was something I thought women had to deal with growing up in the business. Or I thought, "Well, someday I'll probably have to do that," but I know how I would do it." I always felt prepared in my mind if that happened, what I would do, but it's exciting to think about. A time when Children when they grow up will not know what that is, that it will be a thing of the past and that there will be no more abuse of power.

That is what bothers me the most: people who abuse their positions, people that people admire, artists who are. revered and, of course, the young people coming in will admire them. I think it's one of the worst crimes to abuse your influence and power in a negative way, and it's exciting to think that our culture is changing, and it's about time. Have any of the stories that have come out been especially resonant for you as an actress who has grown up, essentially, in the industry? Yeah, I mean, I have to say that. I was just like Allison.

I never experienced that. lucky to be protected from a lot of that. I was never really exposed to what happened at parties. They never left me alone with anyone. My mom and dad were always around, so I was very protected that way. I mean, every story that's come out has a lot of gravity, a lot of weight, and I think it would be wrong to escalate one over the other, but I think only because you can actually hear it happen. That Italian woman, was she an actress? - She was a model and actress. - She was a model, actress. - The Harvey Weinstein story. - And, the incredible thing about this was that she was brave enough to come back the next day because she knew that this was important for this to come out, and the fact that she put herself in that position again and made herself so vulnerable, and still nothing was done about it. - Yes. - And that's what's really disappointing about all of this.

They've had all this shit basically about all these men and women for the last few years, but they haven't done anything about it. They have simply swept it under the rug. - Do you think the culture will change? Maybe people are less willing to do these things out of fear, but do you think the culture of power influence and the culture of abuse will change? - I hope eventually. I think it's going to be a while. I think, unfortunately, it's very socially ingrained. I don't even know. If you think about mothers with their children, it obviously doesn't come from their fathers.

It's this social proof of some form of your masculinity, and also what Emma was saying is so true that until we're equal in every way, how can you expect us to be respected verbally if we're not respected in every other way? ? - Yes, whenever there is one demographic in charge of the livelihood of another, there will be abuses of power. I mean, for me, I'm really interested in her point of view on this in terms of getting into the industry, being in music, and now being in film. - In the industry, like her, I never had that problem.

I was always a tomboy and one of the boys, and I feel very sad for women, but I am happy that they are free. Everybody that's coming out, I'm happy that they're free because they had to hold on to a secret that they may have seen psychiatrists for for years and years and years, so I'm happy for them, and I think things will change because this is doing that other women say, "Me too, me too, me too," and that's why it keeps happening every day, every day, because people are tired of sitting with that secret and that thing that keeps them prisoner. , so I think it will change things because people no longer want to be enslaved, women at least.

Women have been through this since we were kids, you know? When I was a kid I went through this into adulthood, but when I got into the music business I never had it because I went through a lot of it in childhood. - You said you were a tomboy. Do you think you made that decision to protect yourself from it? - I did it because I have been through a lot as a child and teenager. Not that I was a boy, I just wore baggier jeans and Timberlands and a backwards hat, so I won't be too revealing.

It took me a long time to even wear makeup and tight clothes because I had been through so much and everything I had been through was a secret. I talked about it on Oprah, but there's a lot more that people don't know, so like I said, I'm happy that these women are free because it hurts, and they have to go through this, women all over the world. like she said. - That's another thing too, is that these people who went through that had to get up the next day and go to work, or they had to see these men for years and shake their hands and take pictures with them or get on a flight and work with them, whatever it may be.

I mean, imagine how much strength it would have taken to do that every day. - Because I am someone who endures a lot and often gets very nervous when speaking, we also have to recognize that there are so many women who have not yet told their stories, who do not feel comfortable sharing, and this is deeply, and I know it is a very millennial word, but it's a very triggering moment for a lot of women too to see these stories come out one after another, whether or not they have stories to share about assault or harassment. .

It's something very difficult to see. I also want to say for women that I feel a lot of compassion for those who have not yet shared their stories, who still get up and go to work every day, are with their abuser, or have suffered abuse in the past. and they are not willing to say anything. I think that pressuring women to share it, if you don't say it now then you are complicit in this evil that is happening, is also not fair. I think we need to have a lot of compassion and patience so that more and more stories emerge slowly and in a way that is comfortable for people who have been victims of this type of trauma. - It's interesting.

We haven't seen as many people in the music industry come forward as we have in the film and television industry, and I'm curious why you think that is? This is why? Because people can still be afraid or because it is less common? - I think that many people are not prepared, and many people, or many women... I don't want to say it, but many people when you are young and want to be an If you are an artist or you want to be an actress, there are people who threaten you with doing certain things . - That's what I was going to say.

They are afraid of losing their jobs. - You do certain things, and that's sexual harassment, but they don't know it's because they agreed. - You don't know, but this has also happened to me sometimes. I finally made the decision to defend myself. I went to the bathroom at work and one of the producers stopped me on the way and said, "You know, we can hear you on the microphone." You have been very rebellious", which is not true. - The microphone should have been off anyway. - Yes, really. They were very unprofessional and basically threatened my job because the director said something fucked up to me and I was like: " That's sick." "You can't talk to me like that," and then they punished me.

And I was afraid they wouldn't hire me again. - Yes, you were difficult. - Yes, they called me difficult and a nightmare. I think a lot of people don't show up. because they fear they won't work again. - Exactly. - That's what needs to change. You need to be able to say, "This is wrong" and have someone do something about it instead of saying, "Oh, is it wrong?" you're fired. But I think you're right, Emma. In what you're saying too, women need to know that there is support for them here, no matter what, if they never want to come out and say something, that's fine, but knowing that, it makes me sick.

I imagine, without having been there myself, knowing that other people have also experienced this and that they are not the only ones; The strength that that will hope

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y give them is also very important. Relate it a little to some of them. Movies we're talking about today, there's a great line in your movie about this fight for equality and the fight to be taken seriously. What did you bring to the current climate in preparation for this role? Well, we filmed Battle of. the Sexes in the spring of 2016, so as far as our political climate is concerned we're still very...

There was a lot of hope. It was early, in the early days, so it was fascinating because it's a true story. It is a historic event. It happened in 1973, and now here we are 44 years later, and the depressingly relevant events of the film are very difficult to parse. Progress has been made, as I mentioned before. Women can get their own credit card without a man signing it, something that couldn't be done in 1973. You had to get a man to sign it. So obviously, I'm sure we all have our own credit cards now, which is great, and we're really, really grateful. - That's enough. - That's enough.

No, we're fine. But you know, there's a long way to go. - You are offering the male winner exactly eight times what you are offering the female winner. Shall we bring an eighth of the crowd? - I don't know percentages. - Well, today they sold exactly the same number of tickets for the women's final as for the men's. Isn't that right, Jack? - Today I suppose so. - Same sales, same prize money, makes sense to me. - Oh, come on. Be reasonable. I mean, there's no way we can afford that. - What's your argument, Jack? - Well, for starters, men have families they have to support. - Well, I am the main breadwinner for my family. - That's what we brought.

It was studying that era and seeing how little it has changed in many ways. -Very interesting. The salary issue isYoutube. - In Youtube.