Imogen Poots has said women who are opinionated on film sets are still seen as “hostile”.
The 28 Weeks Later star, who will next be seen in the sci-fi film Vivarium, said the systemic issue with sexual abuse in Hollywood comes from the idea that women should be submissive and agreeable.
She told ES magazine: “Still I come up against it a lot, where if you come to work and you’re quite opinionated in a good way for the benefit of the project, that can often be perceived as ‘you have an attitude’ or that you’re hostile.”
She said disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, who was found guilty of rape and sexual assault by a New York jury, is a “despicable human for his actions”, but added there is “a deep, dark, central problem” at the heart of the film industry.
She said: “I couldn’t say what I would have done as an 18-year-old. I think now, apart from anything else, I could say, yes I’ve got the physical power but I don’t know about the emotional power.”
Poots also said that Weinstein’s physical presentation in the media was a significant factor, adding: “There are just as many very attractive men who have done bad things, too.
“There are plenty of other gorgeous humans who will not be portrayed in the same light (as Weinstein).”
The full interview appears in this week’s issue of ES Magazine, out on March 5.
