The Casting Couch: Overblown Myth? Harsh Reality?

Cafe Society
1

“If you want this role, my dear, you’ll have to show me… just how badly you want it. You said you’d do anything, didn’t you?”

So says the lecherous old producer to the hopeful young starlet in a very common [strike]fantasy of mine[/strike] cliche in the acting world. But in real life, in today’s world, how common and realistic could it possibly be?

In 2006, several actors left the off-Broadway production of “Dog Sees God,” amid allegations that the producer sexually harrassed the performers. These were not unknown names – Eliza Dushku and America Ferrera are two of the departing performers alleged to have left because of this behavior.

The lawsuit, I should point out, was filed by the financial partners of the production against the producer; neither Dushku or Ferrera – or any actor – is a party to the suit, which basically alleges that the producer drove off talent by sexual harrassment. The suit also alleges that such harrassment came from this same producer in earlier productions against other actors, again not entirely unknowns: Gabriel Byrne, Aidan Quinn, Esai Morales, Joey McIntyre are named.

The producer is female, and alleged to be an equal-opportunity sexual harrasser.

My question is: in this day and age, is it likely that such behavior would pass unnoticed? Even here, I’d say this isn’t “unnoticed” – there’s a lawsuit. But none of the actual allegedly harrassed parties are party to it. But these are not powerless people without choices. It’s not like Eliza Dushku can’t afford to hire top-notch representation if she needs to.

And even Jane Nobody, fresh-faced ingenue, has to know that a lawsuit is an option.

But let’s say it is still a problem. Let’s say that the world of theatre and film permits producers to sexually harrass where company VPs no longer dare go, and young actresses (and actors) take it because they fear blackballing otherwise.

Admittedly, nineteen out of twenty of those young actors go nowhere. But the twentieth… the twentieth becomes an Eliza Dusku or a Scarlett Johanson or a Tobey Mcguire. And at that point, it seems like there wold be a hell of an expose… “You know what I had to do when I was getting started?” Where are those exposes?

2

I know it’s music, and not film, but would you count Alanis Morrissette’s “Hands Clean” as a step in that direction? Alanis has said “I felt at the time I had only two choices—I pick either working with this person or not doing music at all.”

3

You’re painting a one-sided view of the casting couch scenario (if it still happens at all).

This could be driven by the determined actor/actress as well.

4

I dunno, I’m not sure we’d see a lot of bragging about how this or that actress slept her way to the top, even if it was true. Seems a lot better for their future careers, in general, if people think they got to where they are based on talent, even if they’ve already “made it”.

Perhaps when they’re old and gray, we’ll see the current crop of starlets come out with some tell-alls, as Julia Phillips did once she passed her prime.

5

I suspect that the casting couch was a bigger thing during the studio days (which ended in the 1950’s) than it is today. Back then a few people controlled who would work in Hollywood. And it may not have been as common in the early twentieth century as it was in the nineteenth century in the theatrical world. Some things I’ve read seem to say that it was often assumed that any actress was a “loose woman.”

6

I buy that, especially because society as a whole was not inclined to protect people from such predation in those days. Bosses could go after secretaries with impunity; why should we assume Hollywood was better?

Today, though, in the US? I understand it’s not true world-wide; I’ve heard that in Russia the world of secretarial support is quite similar to 1950s US standards n this regard. And in China, an actress recently revealed a number of sex videos that she made herself to prove her claims about a casting couch industry.

But with all the attention we have today towards sexual harrassment, it would seem a huge gamble for a wealthy studio exec to offer a quid-pro-blow deal…

7

“Bragging?” No. But “I was a victim of the patriarchal sexual harrassers?” Seems like that could sel, with much less downside for the actress.

8

I will swear that I once read that when Marylin Monroe got her first leading role, she told a friend that she had just given her last blowjob to get a part.

9

Could be, though I expect a lot of actresses are worried about being seen as just a pretty face as is, without spreading the knowledge that they used sexual favors to get where they are.

Granted a musician and not an actress (though she’s been in films) but didn’t Alanis Morissette say something like this happened to her. Actually now that I think about it, female musicians in general might be a better place to look for such admissions.

ETA: ah, here we go, though she was 14 years old at the time, so it cuts a lot closer to just straight up rape then the usual casting couch scenario.

10

It probably happened from time to time in the studio days, though probably not as blatantly as in the producer’s office. More likely, the producer would hit on a good looking young woman, sleep with her, and, if he wanted to keep doing so, signed her to a contract until he either tired of her or she showed enough talent to survive by herself.

Supposedly, it also applied to young men, too.

It’s less likely nowadays since producers don’t have that amount of power and a sexual harassment lawsuit is always a possibility.

11

Indeed, when I was at drama school, one of my classmates did exactly this, sleeping her way through various directors on the road to success, eventually busting up the marriage of the local Equity (UK actors’ union) rep. She: good-looking, leggy 20-something; he: chubby grey-haired middle-aged administrator. She got an Equity card out of it, though, so not all bad. His kids got to deal with a divorce.

Ghastly business (and a lousy lay, I am ashamed to report).

12

Nobody’s put the old world “perks” of a studio executive better than David Thompson in The Whole Equation.

I also agree that the practice has never disappeared, but is no longer institutionalized. Individuals may do it, but they are exceptions. There will always be sex between people who want something from powerful people and will always be sex between beautiful people and Hollywood is filled with both groups.

13

"What casting couch, honey? That was the part!"

– good title for a porn film

14

Michelle Branch was once asked by an interviewer why she had switched from rock to country and she answered “I’m sick of sucking dick to get my music heard, putting on a fake smile, and saying things that are acceptable.” But she later explained that she meant “sucking dick” metaphorically not literally.

15

Somewhere in my porn stash I have an interview with former star Ryan Idol who, oddly, claims that he got into gay porn when he couldn’t get legitimate acting work because he refused to submit to the casting couch. He then goes on to claim that Tom Cruise did.

16

That seems an odd career choice for a guy who was too squeamish to fuck for a part.

It’s not unbelievable, but how would Idol know that?

17

REO Speedwagen

18

Why would show business be any different from the rest of the world? I know of people in both graduate school and in corporate life who used sex to get the grades and jobs they wanted, and people in positions of power who were glad to oblige.

19

I’m not at all familiar with Branch’s music, but…

In rock, you have to say what’s “acceptable,” and in country, you don’t? :dubious:

What kind of country are we talking about here?

-FrL-

20

I have read the Canadian Equity rule book cover to cover a few times, and there are specific rules prohibiting any sort of “casting couch” situations. Even if the role requires nudity and it is requested for the audition Equity and PACT* require one weeks notice prior to the audition, the actor auditioning is required 24 hours notice, and the actor can bring in a representative to make sure nothing happens. There are even limits to the amount of people allowed in the room.

If any reputable company tests theses rules, they can expect a full on investigation, and in the theatrical world Equity is not the group to mess with.

So the rules were put into place for a reason, which makes me think it was once an issue, but I would hope that it no longer is.

However all bets are off when you are dealing with a non-professional company not bound by any union agreements.
*Equity is the equivalent to an actors union, PACT is an association of professional theatres.