Page 31 - ARUBA TODAY

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PEOPLE & ARTS Friday 10 august 2018
Casey Affleck on new film, his Oscars absence and MeToo

By LINDSEY BAHR ventional movie. The cast in a bazillion ways and just
Associated Press was the crew and the crew generally had a mountain
LOS ANGELES (AP) — With was kind of the cast and it of grief thrown at them for-
a new movie coming out was an unprofessional en- ever. And no one was really
this fall, "The Old Man & vironment and, you know, making too much of a fuss
The Gun," Casey Affleck is the buck had to stop with about it, myself included,
speaking publicly about me being one of the pro- until a few women with the
bowing out of present- ducers and I have to ac- kind of courage and wis-
ing the best actress Oscar cept responsibility for that dom to stand up and say,
and past harassment alle- and that was a mistake. "You know what? Enough
gations against him amid And I contributed to that is enough." Those are the
the #MeToo and Time's Up unprofessional environ- people who are kind of
movements. ment and I tolerated that leading this conversation
In an exclusive interview kind of behavior from oth- and should be leading the
with The Associated Press, er people and I wish that I conversation. And I know
Affleck reflects on the Os- hadn't. And I regret a lot of just enough to know that in
cars, the film, which will pre- that. I really did not know general I need to keep my
miere at the Toronto Inter- what I was responsible for mouth shut and listen and
national Film Festival in Sep- as the boss. I don't even try to figure out what's go-
tember, and past harass- know if I thought of myself ing on and be a supporter
ment allegations against as the boss. But I behaved and a follower in the little,
him in light of #MeToo, in a way and allowed oth- teeny tiny ways that I can.
apologizing for allowing an ers to behave in a way that And we do that at our pro-
unprofessional atmosphere was really unprofessional. duction company and I
on set which led to two civil And I'm sorry. try to do it at home, and
lawsuits from women he AP: I know you talked last if I'm ever called upon by
worked with that were later year about taking your kids anyone to help in any way
settled. to women's marches and and contribute, I'd be more
Excerpts from the conver- trying to educate them. than happy to.
sation, Affleck's first inter- Is there anything that has AP: Your "Manchester by
view in a year, have been come up since #MeToo the Sea" director Kenneth
edited for clarity and brev- In this Aug. 3, 2018 photo, actor Casey Affleck poses for and Time's Up emerged in Lonergan had implied that
ity. A video of the interview portrait at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles to promote his the culture? you had been treated un-
upcoming film "The Old Man & The Gun," in theaters on Sept. 28.
can be seen here: http:// Associated Press AFFLECK: Well I've taken fairly. Do you have any re-
apne.ws/LZLm50A . these lessons with me that sponse to that?
AP: What do you like about away from presenting the about me before in my life I've learned not just to work AFFLECK: Whether I have
this film? best actress award at the and it was really embarrass- but to home and as dad or haven't, I think that
AFFLECK: I love David (Low- Oscars. Why did you do ing and I didn't know how and it informs how you there are people in the
ery), I love working for Da- that? to handle it and I didn't parent. I have two boys world who deal with much
vid and it's my third movie AFFLECK: I think it was the agree with everything, the so I want to be in a world greater hardship than that.
with him and he always as- right thing to do just given way I was being described, where grown men model And they do so without
sembles a really nice group everything that was go- and the things that were compassion and decency complaint. So I don't think
of people around him. It's ing on in our culture at the said about me, but I want- and also contrition when I need to say anything else
such a nice experience to moment. And having two ed to try to make it right, it's called for, and I cer- about it.
watch one of his movies. incredible women go pres- so we made it right in the tainly tell them to own their AP: And at your production
They all have a very gentle ent the best actress award way that was asked at the mistakes when they make company, what sort of proj-
quality to them... And Rob- felt like the right thing. time. And we all agreed to them. ects are you looking for and
ert Redford, what is there AP: During your best actor just try to put it behind us AP: You're also a boss, you what sort of filmmakers are
to say? He's a legend, an Oscar campaign for "Man- and move on with our lives, have a production com- you looking to shepherd?
incredibly sweet guy and chester By the Sea," allega- which I think we deserve to pany, Sea Change Media, AFFLECK: Whitaker (Lader),
just sharp as a tack. It was tions resurfaced regarding do, and I want to respect and you've directed your who runs the company,
lovely working with him. two civil lawsuits from the them as they've respected first film since "I'm Still Here" does all the good work and
AP: The last time we spoke making of your film "I'm Still me and my privacy. And too. Can you talk about then I kind of make some
you were promoting an- Here," that were settled in that's that. how you have evolved and noise on the sidelines too.
other David Lowery film, 2010. But we haven't heard Over the past couple of changed to create a safe We're trying to find people
"A Ghost Story." What have from you since #MeToo years, I've been listening working environment for who can tell stories that we
you been up to in the last and Time's Up became a a lot to this conversation, people who work for you? don't usually see in main-
year? big talking point in the cul- this public conversation, AFFLECK: I think that, there's stream pop culture, mov-
AFFLECK: I made "The Old ture. Has that made you re- and learned a lot. I kind been a lot of talk about ies, media, Hollywood, with
Man & the Gun," I made an- flect on or reevaluate any- of moved from a place new things in regards to the storytellers who need a
other movie called "Light of thing about the experience of being defensive to one workplace and I have this hand.q
My Life," and I've just been or the atmosphere on that of a more mature point of production company and
spending the rest of the set? view, trying to find my own this very, very smart woman
time with my kids and my AFFLECK: First of all, that I culpability. And once I did runs it with me and she's
girlfriend and just trying to was ever involved in a con- that I discovered there was been way ahead of the
squeeze in a little bit of life. flict that resulted in a law- a lot to learn. I was a boss. curve on all of these issues.
And if I'm not promoting a suit is something that I really I was one of the producers But I think bigger picture, in
movie, I'm not going to do regret. I wish I had found on the set. This movie was this business women have
any press, so that's why you a way to resolve things (shot in 2008, 2009) and I been underrepresented
haven't heard from me. in a different way. I hate was one of the producers. and underpaid and objec-
AP: You also earlier this year that. I had never had any And it was a crazy moc- tified and diminished and
made the decision to step complaints like that made kumentary, (a) very uncon- humiliated and belittled