Among this year’s celebrity guests at Rome Film Fest, none brought out the fans like Sigourney Weaver. The groundbreaking star of films from Alien to Gorillas in the Mist to Avatar spoke about #MeToo as well as her wide-ranging career.
Talking about the #MeToo movement that has taken the industry by storm, the actress told The Hollywood Reporter, “What has been accomplished with #MeToo is such an important step in the battle for equality in the workplace. I think actually nowadays, women, in my opinion, do try to help each other. There’s a greater sense of sisterhood. When I was in college we really thought we would get equality in the constitution. We’re still waiting!”
The three-time Academy Award nominated actress, who recently wrapped up filming for Avatar 2 and 3, further went on to say that one gets the feeling that in America we all understand what this movement is and maybe over here they think that we’re against all romance or any kind of flirtation.
“What we’re against is the abuse of power…sexual exploitation towards people who are more vulnerable,” she added. “It’s very clear for us in America, except for a few holdouts.”
Reflecting on whether she was ever sexually harassed, Weaver shared, “I was very lucky because I started out in the theater, working with mostly gay playwrights that I knew from drama school, and gay producers, so no one was interested in me. Then I made Alien, which was basically my first film, and no one came near me. They were so afraid I’d yank out a flamethrower, and I think I was already too old for them to take advantage of me. I’m a New Yorker, so I’m naturally suspicious. You never know, because of course you want to believe in the sort of world of equals where women are listened to. It would be very hard to guard against this ambush for any woman. I’m lucky I didn’t experience that.”