DERRY Girls actress Nicola Coughlan and Ballykissagel star Victoria Smurfit have both revealed how they were sexually harassed by powerful industry executives while trying to break into acting.
Ms Coghlan, who plays 16-year-old Derry schoolgirl Clare Devlin - despite being aged 31 and from Galway - was just a teenager when she was asked to "perform naked" by a "respected director".
She posted an account of the distressing encounter on Twitter, in October following the Harvey Weinstein scandal, using the hashtag #GreyAreasNoMore
The account, which she describes as "barely the tip of the iceberg", was published more widely yesterday after being uncovered by the Sunday Life.
Ms Coughlan recalls taking part in an acting competition where one of the judges was "an older, respected director".
"I had a chat with him before about what the competition would entail and he told me that if I really wanted to impress him, I should perform naked," she wrote.
"I was a kid, but no woman of any age should be spoken to by a man in a position of power, ever. Trust me, I have a lot worse stories than that."
Meanwhile, Ms Smurfit - acclaimed for her role in BBC comedy-drama `Ballykissangel', ITV police procedural `Trial & Retribution' and US fantasy drama `Once Upon a Time' - was an up-and-coming actress in Hollywood when she was ordered to accompany a producer to his hotel room.
"There was one huge film I auditioned for in my 20s and I was asked to come along for a second audition," she told the Sunday Independent.
Having had a "fantastic" second audition, and being down to the final two she was invited out for dinner with the production team where she "kept pouring my glass (of alcohol) into a potted plant because I knew I had to be `on my game'".
When the producer said "you are coming with me to my hotel room" she "just played the innocent" and pretended she didn't know what he meant.
However, "he was very straight and very strong about it, so I legged it back to my hotel".
Ms Smurfit said when they met a a third audition he told her [in a cold tone] "I'm done with you".
