A week ago, Amy Pascal “stepped down” as co-chairman of Sony Pictures. That’s the gentle way of saying it. What really happened was that she was fired, although Sony Corporate handled the Pascal exit pretty well. They left her out there for a few months to soak up the blame, then they negotiated a generous exit package for her semi-retirement. Her exit package includes her own production company associated with Sony, plus $30-40 million over the next four years. And for that kind of golden parachute, Pascal has nothing but nice things to say about her time at Sony. Pascal attended the Women in the World conference this week in San Francisco and she chatted about being “fired,” her relationship with Angelina Jolie and more. Some highlights:
She didn’t step down, she was fired: “All the women here are doing incredible things in this world — all I did was get fired.”
Realizing her emails had been hacked: “I ran this company, and I had to worry about everybody who was really scared … People were really scared … But nagging in the back of my mind, I kept calling [IT] and being like, ‘They don’t have our emails, tell me they don’t have our emails,’ ” she said. “But then they did. That was a bad moment. And you know what you write in emails.”
The Angelina Jolie emails: “The first person I talked to was Angie after that email… Angie didn’t care. Everybody understood because we all live in this weird thing called Hollywood. If we all actually were nice, it wouldn’t work.”
All of the offensive stuff that came out in the emails: “As a woman, I figured that what I did was control how everybody felt about themselves and about me, that’s how I did my job. That’s kind of the way that a lot of us act as leaders and there was this horrible moment when I realized there was absolutely nothing at all that I could do about whether I’d hurt people, whether I’d betrayed people, whether I’d said things that I didn’t mean. I couldn’t protect anyone — not their feelings, not what they thought of me. It was horrible because that’s how I figured I did my job for all of my life. It was also strangely freeing because all of a sudden, it was just what it was.”
On celebrities: “They’re bottomless pits of need. You’ve never seen anything like it. But they are so great. They’re this magical thing that no one else can be. It’s a duality of both things. They’re filled with need to be loved and to be great, but that’s because they’re magical.”
I rolled my eyes at the last quote, about celebrities being bottomless pits of need AND magical creatures. What a half-assed attempt at a save. As for the Jolie stuff… I don’t believe Pascal. Let’s be clear: Pascal and Jolie did have a good working relationship and I’ll believe that they felt like they knew each other pretty well. So do you think Pascal’s first call would be to Jolie if Pascal thought Jolie was going to be totally cool and ambivalent about the whole thing? Right. And if Jolie was hurt or upset, who would blame her? What Scott Rudin said about Jolie was harsh, bratty and Mean Girl-y. And Pascal said nothing in Jolie’s defense. Why is the official line “Angie didn’t care”?
Photos courtesy of WENN, Getty.
Why didn’t Scott Rudin get fired? He was way worse in his emails than Pascal. Pascal didn’t say much from what I recall.
He’s an independent producer. Studios can choose not to work with him in the future, but they can’t fire him from anything.
And I think she was fired because of the stuff about Obama, not about Rudin calling Angelina a brat, etc.
True. But he has been suspiciously absent from Awards Ceremonies even though he has a film up for best picture (Budapest Hotel I think).
Pascal seems to have issues with not defending women, though she is not required to. The Jolie thing as well as the whole issue with Lawrence and Adams and the poor pay was just silly. She should just keep her mouth shut and try and do things on a personal level.
She also had other serious issues at Sony like OKing crappy movies for those “needy stars” and not paying attention to the IT experts who warned her about electronic security. I don’t think the e-mails were that serious, just embarrassing and probably wrecked her relationships with major talent and not just Jolie. But having employees personal information splashed across the internet is VERY serious and probable cause for losing a job.
Ah thanks for the clarification
Exactly VC she also sounded like a spineless boss in the leaked emails not like someone in charge.
@jen2
Ah, I didn’t know he produced Budapest Hotel…..I wouldn’t know if he was at awards ceremonies or not, but…..I don’t see why he’d have to not appear at the ceremonies. Despite all of the press from the Hack, I don’t think people would stone him for going to an awards show, or even actually recognize him….
Can someone explain how she got to such an exalted position? I’m genuinely confused. She made crap movies, behaved in a juvenile way, did not listen to important advice, and certainly doesn’t “dress for success.” Is it the corporate culture at Sony? Or is the whole industry filled with extremely high paid people with no business acumen?
I read somewhere that Rudin, the studio and the joint producers of GB decided it was best if he laid low this awards season to not distract attention away from the film’s chances. And it seemed more to do with the remarks about President Obama then anything else that were in those emails.
But with the dust settled, I would imagine he would be at the Oscars.
Belle Epoch: Inspite of what came out in those emails, Amy has a very good track record going to the 80s. Her appointment at SOny was considered a triumph for women in Hollywood because at that time, only Sherry Lansing headed a studio and seemingly the only woman who was considered capable of it.
Yup. Also I believe Angelina didn’t care. Why is she gonna give a fck what Rudin says about her? AJ knows how H’wood works and knows how vile egomaniacal jabba the huts like Rudin work also. Pascal wasn’t saying she she knew in advance that Angie wouldn’t care, she’s saying that was her observation after she had called Angelina.
Belle Epoch,
Pascal worked her way up through Sony. Sony has made some great films under her leadership and she has forged great partnerships for Sony with industry talent. Revising history in the wake of the email disclosures doesn’t help.
I think Amy was fired because she said Racist things , basically about the President and used a movie about Slavery to make racist jokes. She’s just a crappy person. IMO crappy, racist , two faced person.
How can they have her dealing with ethnic talent when she’s making racist jokes?
She’s an embarrassment for Sony, Hollywood is closely associated with the President and political fund raisers, she’s a racist, or she thinks making racists jokes is ok. I can’t stand her , just based on the fact that she made a racist joke about the President.
She’s disgusting, imo
He’s an independent producer who does not work for Sony.
Rudin may not be an employee but he works through contracts which can be terminated.
Rudin has it easier as he is first of all self employed, way more succesful than Pascal, he has got the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) and everyone knew he was a rage monster anyway. there are so many stories, google it: “scott rudin horrible boss” . he hires and fires countless assistants each year. no one will be surprised at him being like that.
its like Charlie Sheen being caught with durgs, no one would freak out or be surprised.
what i find strange about pascal is why she always looks so messy esp her hair. does she ever comb or brush the hair? ( totally superficial ) because it tends to reflect on yr image as well. first of all she sdnt have said anything at all – because she comes across as downright mean esp abt jlaw etc – pascal is not someone trustworthy but then again in hw who really is?
Spot on! Pretty much all of the horrible & obnoxious content in the emails was written by Scott Rudin, who came across as the biggest jerk on the planet. It is amazing that anybody wants anything to do with the guys. He is racist, misogynistic & poisonous
… & poisonous & filthy rich & unbelievably successful & makes movies that win awards & can get your project funding. That’s why they work with him and still will. Ugh.
Welcome to Hollywood!
He might be a jerk but he gets to work on good projects that win awards. Many people do want to work for Him. I am sure Angie probably still wants to work for him. Her ego needed to be taken down a notch. Cleopatra probably would have been made already of Angie didn’t go direct some Oscar bait extravaganza and think she was going win Best Director and a bunch of other awards.
Scott Rudin owns the rights to Cleopatra. I don’t beleive the rumors Angies fans make up about Angie getting Marty and DDL and Leonoardo Dicaprio working on the project. Why would Marty direct Cleopatra? Its not his kind of film. Or Leo’s or DDL. Besides who can Leo play in Cleopatra? Makes no sense! Jolie was over stepping her boundries on the film, and got called out for it. She doesn’t know better then the actual directors and the script writers sorry. I know she knows a lot about acting, but I doubt she knows about to directing a film or writing a script over people who have spent years and years directing and writing scripts.
Please take your irrational nonsensical Jolie hate and scram. You make no sense. If Jolie was so interested in Oscar bait she wouldn’t work every 4 years and constantly turn down assured oscar bait. She does films that are challenging and mean something to her. It’s not her fault the studio decided to do a big oscar push nor is it her responsibility to refuse people who support her film being promoted in such a way – she’s not an idiot..but neither is she some cutthroat desperado needy for validation like your girl rachel green and her pr flack – Jolie has her oscars hon…so have a seat.
lorea, you’re a hoot. If you doubt Scorsese’s interest in directing Cleopatra with as Cleopatra then you missed the pertinent emails from his agent.
Your bias has clouded not only your judgment but your ability to understand the facts and circumstances surrounding the development of Cleopatra. You should just gracefully step back from the discussion.
@lorea
And yet, as Pascal says, that’s the name of the game. As long as no one has signed a contract to do anything, what’s the big deal? Fincher, Scorcesse, etc…..they’re all grown ass men that can make their own decisions. It’s not like Angelina ACTUALLY has a Leg of Doom or Magical Vadge than can compel men to do exactly what she wants. If Rudin wanted Fincher for “Jobs”, while Angelina wanted him for “Clepatra”……..I’m sure he knew of the conflict, and he did what was best for HIS career. Which, right now, is doing neither.
Rudin does not own the rights to Cleopatra he simple owns the rights to a Cleopatra Script. It’s been done to death anyway , every one and their dog knows the story so I can’t see it ever being made into Hollywood block buster again. If they want to go that route something like an Empress Theodora or Queen Semiramis movie would be a whole lot more interesting and original even though I know that word seems to be absolute anathema in Hollywood.
@Flower
That was the tension with Angelina and Rudin. When they first got together, they were going to make a movie about how Cleopatra was politically strong/smart……it wasn’t going to be another movie about how all she did was seduce men…and somehow managed to be the Queen/Pharaoh of Egypt. But then, for whatever reason, Rudin changed his mind. He mentioned something about an Antony and Cleopatra adaptation from the Shakespeare play i.e he wanted to make it into a love story. Angelina was disagreeing, and then she was meeting with directors, and trying to get them to put the script together.
I just found it SO hilarious that Rudin’s going on and on about how he doesn’t want to ruin his career and reputation by filming a vanity project (for the minimally talented brat that he wanted to work with)….yet he wants to film the ULTIMATE vanity project…by casting an actress known for her looks and sex appeal to play as a seducer verging on historical hysteria. But HE’S the auteur.
Note: Am not saying that Rudin ISN’T talented, but he seems to have wanted to make a very mediocre film, and I find it disgusting that he’s calling her out for wanting to film a vanity project…..when that’s what he’s turning it into. A beautiful woman with pretty costumes and lots of love scenes. And oh, there happened to be a few wars, murders, overthrows, and assassinations…but SHE wasn’t part of that., not as much as so and so, and so and so…
It’s because everyone knows who and how Scott Rudin is. Amy Pascal portrayed herself as someone else.
No one likes someone who’s two-faced, not even in Hollywood.
It was also apparent from the emails that Pascal was just kissing Rudin’s ass. And now this backtracking just makes her look all the more pathetic and weak.
But she’s a rich bitch, so who cares.
Pascal’s husband had a lot to do with her getting into lofty positioning.
Maybe she thought she was “untouchable!”
I don’t know what it is about Pascal, but chica looks ROUGH. And not because she’s unattractive/ugly, but because she always looks like she’s just crawled out of bed on a three day binge. And TRUST, I know what that looks like.
i agree. she needs a holiday.
Haha having been there myself, I am 100% in agreement with you
She can take her golden parachute and go to Bora Bora for a couple of weeks or something. Get some rest. Brush her hair.
LOL 🙂
And she seemed drunk and / or high during that interview! She was slurring her words and laughing all to herself, to the point where I was almost embarrassed to keep on watching. Such a disgrace…
VC, this is OT but I’m anxiously awaiting your 50 Shades review!
Lol, mimif. I might sneak watch it–my dad wants to go see Imitation Game today or tomorrow (he’s a computer nerd/engineer, and said that Turing is like God in computer science)….but ugh…I don’t want to pay for that piece of crap. Especially when I’m hearing that Jamie D. is flat. I might screw the studio and watch it online…..I’ll go if you fly up into the middle of Winter Hell and go see it with me 😉 Better pack some “extry” margarita mix with you….lol.
me as well! review it up, VC
As am I!
I don’t care what she looks like. She’s a tough and successful woman who worked her way to the top of a major studio. She gets to look anyway she wants or has time to look. Just like the men. I know you essentially agree with me on this, Virgilia.
She’s also racist. Can’t stand her.
She’s an embarrassment
She got in because of who her husband is.
Essentially, I agree. She has to be tough and thick skinned to get where she got. But that doesn’t change the fact that in every picture of her that I’ve seen, she looks very unkempt. And looks like she doesn’t have any personal grooming habits. Sorry, but that’s the truth. And I’ll say it of any man who I think fits the bill–I recently said that about William H. Macy. It won’t matter if he takes a million baths, and rolls around in a vat of perfume–because of his looks, his beard, his hair, and his clothes–he looks like a homeless perv.
“They are bottomless pits of need (oh shit I said that out loud say something nice fast!) and they’re magical!”
I saw more quotes about her discussing being fired, something about how hard it was to start over at that age. Start over! She got another job in the same company, with a huge salary, probably all the same benefits, and less responsibility. Sounds rough, huh?
Right? “Oh poor me, I have to start over with a 30 million pay out and my own company! Look at how I’m suffering.”
B**tch PLEASE, she has some entitlement issues maybe?
Talk about a bottomless pit of need …
Hahaha!!
Amy seems like she’s also a bottomless pit of complaints.
I watched the video clip and I’m pretty sure she was being sarcastic, and not in a nice way.
I’m thinking of Leo Di CAprio and the sucky email that got leaked where some agent was rubbing all over his HUGE ego, which movie was they wanted to do? I can’t remember, but they were trying to get him in through his ego and his supposed want/need of an Oscar hahahahaha
that was embarrassing.
the person who didnt come across that well was george clooney who whined abt his film mm during his email to pascal. why wasnt he talked about esp since mm tanked as well
Exactly kaiser if she felt Angie wouldn’t react why was she the first person she called? IMO I think she shouldn’t have said anything. This interview didn’t do her justice and isn’t working in her favour.. And oh Lol at every outlet for making the “Angie didn’t care” headline to the story!
You’re right, she cares alright. If they knew each other pretty well, then she would have pre determined Angie’s reaction.
The last time I said, “I don’t care” was when my boyfriend went out with his buds, and then, was tagged with some chick that I didn’t like.
But he paid for it.
Angie cares, she cares!!
I don’t think she cared. She doesn’t even really work as an actress anymore and I’m sure people have said worse about her and maybe even to her face.
This is the same woman who was the number one target for the media for years but she never once came out to defend herself. Why? Most likely she doesn’t care.
I get that YOU need Angie to care ‘bangersandmash,’ but please face facts she’s really not that needy.
You won’t find her unwilling to get out of bed because someone called her ‘homely,’ ala Rachel Green or any other nasty names. Face facts. She’s not that weak basic bish. She isn’t.
It would make those who dislike/hate her irrationally, feel great to think she was devastated by her lessers attacks – but the truth is you hate and dislike her precisely because much to your chagrin, she is not that kind of weak substandard lame predictable female.
She’s quite remarkable and doesn’t give two effs. It’s a very big reason why she drives basic bishes bonkers.
What I don’t understand is, what did people think Angelina would do? Scream, cry and roll on the floor kicking her feet? Even if she did care, she would not tell Pascal or anyone else except Brad. Angelina is nothing if not professional and would give the professional answer, unlike the people who did not act professionally.
The stuff is light weight compared to the crap in tabloids and she has never complained about that in public and I don’t remember her whining in interviews about it either. Ms. Jolie Pitt will continue to work in film as she wishes, do her humanitarian efforts and raise her family with her husband. All in all, I think she is doing just fine.
I doubt it cut her to the soul or anything, but I would think it would hurt or anger her a little, and definitely change the relationship. She thought Amy was her friend. Now she knows she wasn’t. I’m sure that happens a lot in Hollywood, but it would sting a little, I think.
I think what will be hardest for Angelina, hurt or not, is to trust either of those people again. When you are trying to deal with people in a professional manner and they are mean girling you in the back ground, it would be hard to look at them the same way again. Who knows if Rudin has reached out, but I don’t think either of them will let anyone know. Pascal probably had a more personal relationship with her and Brad, but I think that is changed and those relationships, both personal and professional will have to be re-built.
And even though it is common knowledge that Rudin is a jackass, he has shown his misogyny in full force with his insults to Angelina and the young female producer at Anapurna. The tacky Obama jokes didn’t help him either. He is male, has the money, and will continue to work, but his rep has also been tarnished.
Yes, this. AJ is still human, if it didn’t outright upset her, I am sure it bugged her at least a little bit to have her named dragged out into the media over the Sony Hackings and have someone she likely thought of as a friend “betray” her.
Why are people having trouble with this? Pascal is saying that was her feeling/observation AFTER having called Angelina. She didn’t say ‘I KNEW Angie wouldn’t care,’ she said she was the first person she called and then made the comment she didn’t care. Comprehension folks.
Why would she care. Angelina doesn’t work for Sony. If she does a film with them fine.. but there are other studios. She has been working more with Universal. So the fact that Rudin said some dumb shit would mean what to her exactly. That she drops out of a film that hasn’t been made. It happens all the time. So no the Sony email hack doesn’t affect her career. It does affect Amy Pascal’s career and has. Angie hasn’t lost anything in all of this. Besides that she hasn’t made any public statement about any of it. All we are getting is what other people are saying and of course the usual gossip speculations.
That may all be true, but she’s still a human being. I’m sure her feelings had to be a little hurt.
Let’s be real.. people talk shit about Angie all the time. She has had some of the most vile things printed in tabloids and gossip sites.. I’m sure she didn’t like it or was offended. But the bottom line. it doesn’t affect her getting work or financially. She doesn’t have to work with Amy or Rudin
Watching Amy Pascal’s interview she looked a HOT MESS.. disheveled and unprofessional. I am shocked she kept her job this long. Regardless of his awards or ability to finance quality films..the man is gross and sad that people will work with him.
It’s one thing to ignore tabloid nonsense that she’s always had to deal with. Quite another to have someone she’s personally working with in a professional manner speak so poorly about her to another person she’s working with, and have it go public, even if she knows he’s a jerk. I’m not saying she was curled up in a ball crying, but it had to sting a little. It would hurt my feelings a little to have someone I’m working with say that.
Yep Lucy2. And my impression of the emails I read was that none of what they were saying was what they said to Angelina. Like the thing about David Fincher/meeting with other directors….did Rudin or Pascal email Angelina and tell her that Rudin wanted Fincher for something else OR to stop looking for other directors since the project wasn’t moving forward? It didn’t seem to me like this was actually communicated to her. It was to Pascal.
That’s the same thing I used to say during the height of the tabloids trashing her/her kids. I used to say “Brad should defend his family because she’s human and probably has hurt feelings.” Now I really don’t think she gives a damn.
@beep
I don’t see why anyone should defend themselves from the tabloids. Anyone with half a brain knows that 99% of it is crap, with 1% truth that *sometimes*, on a night with a bloom moon, and a purple sun, MIGHT be true. I always saw Brad as not “defending” her from the tabloids as not creating another story. Which is what would’ve happened if he went denying every single story that came out. And he’d also be accused of reading everything about himself–him and Angelina. I think they do pretty good with ignoring tabloid stories.
lucy I agree with you on that it is different. I would hope she doesn’t work with him.. but I don’t know if he has spoken to her or what the situation is going forward.
@ lisa2, Well Pascal and Rudin are the producers of her film, They have more power then Angie does. Rudin probably had told Angie off to her face many times.
@Lucy —
Over the years I’ve learned that what annoys Angelina’s detractors the most (I get so tired of the word hater, but it is a better word to use, lol) is the fact that the slings and arrows don’t get to her.
Not the vile stories about her hating her own child, or the bizarre attacks from lames in the business viciously attacking her character (waves to handler) on a regular basis.
She said two things that have always stood out and that I accept are authentic: 1) If you’ve never met her and she doesn’t know you that well or at all, you are entitled to your opinion but it doesn’t bother her or matter to her what you think. 2) That the only time it has bothered her is when someone she does care about, let’s what may get said about her, affect them.
I think Angelina’s friends and family know this about her and they follow her lead. If Brad were to freak out at every unkind thing or want to take on all factions who were busy trying to tear angie down…i truly don’t think Angelina would be impressed, nor would she abide something so stupid and would be p.o.d at him.
Brad even said back in the day (when with you know who probably) he let stuff like that get to him bec he couldn’t avoid it – those around him were placing too much stock in what people thought. Face it..when you’re with someone who can’t get out of bed because some teenager called her “homely,” then going from THAT kind of weak ish to Angelina Jolie is going to be quite the sea change. Lol
She used the example on Inside the Actors Studio of her brother Jaime being upset at the comments about them and worrying about how it affected her career to the point he was acting differently and trying to lie low. She said that hurt her. But in telling the story she couched as if his actions hurt her more than whatever stupid ish people were saying about them.
I think people that know Angelina take their cue from her…they focus on what matters – the important things, as such the comments from characters like jealous bitter crass hack late night cable talk show hosts or big fat gross bishes like Rudin who are such vile human beings that their despicable antics are legendary and nightmarish (see kevin spacey’s portrayal of the monster boss in Swimming with Sharks..guess who was the shark?) are truly of no import in Jolie’s world.
But those that dislike her will keep gleefully cheering at the drug den rag covers, people calling her the c word and all kinds of untalented brats…hoping someday…one day…they’ll hear that Jolie had a breakdown over it all and like rachel green before her…just can’t get out of her fetal position in a dark corner somewhere.
Until then Dame Jolie will keep raking in the big bucks for her movies (20 mil and back end), making blockbusters, directing films, making the world a better place, and meeting popes, heads of state and Queens.
Stay holding your breath…haters. lol
Buggkez, EXCELLENT! The way Angelina has always handled her detractors and those who try to shade her is the epitome of professionalism, graciousness, and class. Those obsessed with what tabloids or others say about them need to take a lesson from Angelina’s master class in her Zen-like response to negativity about her.
“If we all actually were nice, it wouldn’t work.”
I hardly think her/their ignorant rants helped make whatever projects “work.” Sorry, not buying it.
For me, it’s not even that they weren’t “nice”…it’s that they all seemed to communicate like high school mean girls.
yes, exactly. All judgy and a bit stupid. But then again, when you think about the number of people who are rich and famous in hollywood with limited eduction … not so surprising, sadly
ITA, nothing about their communication seemed professional or even educated.
i agree. in a professional setting they have to look what makes most sense for their company but that does not mean trash talking about employees. if Angelina doesnt deliver or they dont think she should do a movie they should say that but not attack her family and make fun of her. it wasnt Rudin and her sitting at a restaurant, having wine and bonding of gossip, it was professional emails. they dont have to be nice in the sense of going out of their way to protect the feelings of actors and actresses but that doesnt mean that can trash them like that.
I may have missed something but I don’t remember them saying anything about her family?
I hate that reasoning of hers. Yes actually, when coworkers are nice to each other life does go much more smoothly. When people backstab each other (like Pascal did to Jolie), it makes for a very unhealthy work environment and productivity suffers. Which shows is happening at Sony with all of the Adam Sandler bombs they keep producing.
“If we all actually were nice, it wouldn’t work”.
Hmmm. Perhaps, Amy, if you were all actually professional and demonstrated any business sense, or collaboration and communication skill, or a sophisticated understanding of an artistic process, or any other accomplishment that we civilians naively imagine you’d need to be a big player in a multi-billion dolllar industry, rather than playground levels of bitchery (not to mention literacy) it would work BETTER.
Very well said. But sadly I guess we’ll never know since I don’t see Hollywood raising its standards anytime soon.
They need serious classes in electronic communication and what it means to communicate on company computers. Any idiot knows that communication is not “private”, it belongs to the company. This showed that many of the folks running Hollywood are childish, immature mean girls and boys who then turn around and trash the people they are working with. I would think twice about trusting them in the future if I was the “talent”. But the business of Hollywood makes them necessary evils, so they won’t change their ways.
This interview is doing her no favors. She got “fired” but then put in charge of a major producing arm at the studio. She seems to be failing “up” like so many others in that position. She needs to stop whining, apologize, stop saying what others think and start mending the fences she has destroyed.
I was willing to give Pascal a pass that she got caught up in the moment till she opened her mouth and flounced her head around, spewing stupid crap. Look in your mirrors, Pascal (and Rudin)…. hopefully, karma is on its way again because you haven’t learned a thing.
If you don’t stand up when confronted with racist/ homophobic or any other kind of demeaning comments, or worse, play along with them, you are no better than the person who made the comments in the first place. The only way you stop a bully or racist or whatever is by making a stand and letting them know that the statement is unacceptable. Instead she pandered to Scott, agreed to his comments and added some of her own, both about the president and about Angie. The fact that she got away with her own company and a $30-40M payout is insulting.
The fact that she will continue to be associated with Sony makes me want to boycott not only upcoming Scott movies but Sony as well.
I do understand her comment about the character or personality of HW stars being both needy and magical, maybe her choice of words was not the best but yes, I am sure they are at once insecure (do you wonder why, in light of the emails we all saw) but true enough, they do have some sort of extra special quality that makes so many people be willing to spend their money to go sit in a dark theatre for two hours watching them pretend to be something else. If that were not true we’d all stay home in our pyjamas reading a book or whatever.
I am kind of baffled that these people who are so busy, have a lot of power and manage a lot of money,have enough time to really make such a-holes of themselves in email. I keep my emails, especially my professional emails pretty simple- “Per your request, please find attached blah blah blah.” “Good morning, I spoke with Angelina yesterday and while she is interested in doing a new film with us, she is also in negotiations to do another film starting in two months.” It’s not hard. This woman needs to write a book though because I am interested in her perspective that “if we were all nice it wouldn’t work.” Let’s explore that some more please because obviously it is true.
There are tonnes of books already on the market that tell you what raging monsters Hollywood accommodates and how the system works.
Start with ‘You’ll never eat lunch in this town again’ by Julia Philip’s, follow up with ‘High Concept’ by Charles Fleming, Wild Thymes by Sally Van Slyke.
Excellent reads.
I’d also add “They Can Kill You But They Can’t Eat You” by Dawn Steel.
I don’t think Angelina cares. She had to put up with the Jennifer Aniston crap for 10+ years. The emails were probably whatever in comparison. I’m not sure why people assume is so angry. Isn’t Amy friends with Brad and maybe Angelina? The other celebrities may be acquaintances but Amy felt the need to talk to Angelina because of a closer relationship.
The Hollywood reporter said that there was a warm hug that followed that photo. Rudin is one man and people at Sony according to other emails were tired of dealing with his shitty abusive ways which is why they didn’t renew his contract.
Of course they needed to make it a cat fight between 2 women when I doubt there was anything of the sort. I still don’t see how Pascal shaded Jolie. She just ignored the hissy fit rantings of a well known misogynist prima donna named Scott Rudin. Is there a single person in the industry who pays attention to Rudin when goes on these rants because he isn’t getting his way or because he fears someone else (god forbid it be a female) may have more sway than he over any given issue. Rudin was PO’d that Jolie and Fincher have a close personal relationship apart from work and see each other socially. Well, there is nothing Rudin could do about informal discussions Jolie and Fincher may have had about Cleopatra in such social circumstances and he knew it. So he does what he always does – he resorts to insults and name calling. Now tell me WHO was the REAL unprofessional in these email communications? Rudin or Pascal? I will remind people that informality in such communications does not equate with unprofessionalism.
As successful as Rudin has been don’t think this nonsense didn’t affect him negatively with other talent in the industry. That means studios may be wary of future antics which may alienate the talent and the studios may try to rein Rudin in with more restrictive contracts or avoid him if possible. The more there are alternate producers who appear on the scene the less studios will tolerate the likes of the Rudins of the world.
Actually found her refreshingly honest. I think at this point she doesn’t have two f***ks to give! And I know what she’s talking about when she says magical. I met an actress before in college and you didn’t just meet her, you came into her orbit. She was insane, and captivating, unlike anyone I’ve ever met since. Not saying they’re all like that, but the good ones are.
Because she feels guilty talking about AJ, so that’s first thing comes to her mind. I saw her interview yesterday, she looked like she was high on something, may be on medication. Weird hand gestures, slurred speech, crazy hair. Hope she is taking this firing bit easier than she shows. Who is punishing Rudin?
Nobody forces her to be “nice” but “a decent human being with manners” would actually be nice. She made herself look so incredibly incompetent and needy that I am not surprised she got fired. I would fire her too. Not because what she said but she sounded so whiny and unprofessional and incompetent that I wouldn’t want her as my employee.
As for that “bottomless pits of need” – you should have stopped right there and I would agree. Of course they are.
No wonder she looks like she needs holidays – working among needy egomaniacs, entitled assholes like Rudin and unprofessional idiots like her would probably make my head explode in five minutes.
Also, I am super cranky today.
Well AJ knows the game and how Hollywood is. Plus it seems Cleopatra is still a go for Amy & Sony based on Pascal package deal after she leaves so it is what it is. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/11/business/media/amy-pascal-to-work-on-sonys-spider-man-team.html
Exactly, Rose.
The Question is does Rudin have anything to do with it now..
maybe not.. and if so.. GOOD
I think a lot of these things are true simultaneously, even if contradictory. I do think actors and actresses are needy bottomless pits.You kind of have to be to encourage the type of attention you get. I think the emails may have hurt Angie’s feelings, but ultimately, she put it in perspective, and didn’t give a shit since she still wields power.
One thing I saw with Pascal’s interview, that was disingenuous, was that she was putting the onus of women’s lower pay scale back on the women. And it’s simply not true. If you are offered a certain rate to play a part, it’s highly unlikely that Pascal ever told them the men are getting such-and-such, and I’m offering you less for equal camera time. The women were just offered proportionately less, so that’s on her. But now that they know, they should inquire about mens’ salaries and adjust demands accordingly.
Kiddo – Totally agree. The idea that women would get more pay if the simply asked for more money is totally punting the issue.
The question should be why didn’t she, as a woman running a studio, offer Adams equal pay to her male counterparts?
EXACTLY, She’s FULL OF (sh) IT.
Exactly! It’s a mighty fine coincidence that ALL of the men got paid more than the women in the movie. All of them. Not just Renner (who already negotiated his lead role, when the role got cut/recasted or whatever)….ALL of the men. Whatever.
While I completely agree with you … I think the point she is making is that woman DON’T actually ask. And you’re not going to even stand a chance of making more money if you don’t even ask.
In most business negotiation situations (there have been TED Talks and essay written on the subject) men constantly OVER evaluate themselves and woman, in general, UNDER evaluate themselves.
When a man is told in a job review (that ultimately reflects on salary, wage negotiations etc) that he is doing a great job – he’s all, yes I am! End of story. When woman are told the same thing, they are more likely to shift the credit away from themselves and on to “the team” or “assistants” etc rather than a simple thank-you, yes I am! as a man would do. While there is nothing wrong with sharing good praise and acknowledging all involved in a job well done, woman need to be more comfortable with accepting such praise so they can use this as a bargaining tool for when money talks come around.
It is also well documented that men, given all the same factors as a woman, will simply ASK for more money (again, the confidence in over evaluating themselves), where as women generally, again, under evaluate their worth.
Men are also more likely to be more aggressive in salary negotiations… so that when offered a certain salary will most likely counter offer and counter offer aggressively… generally settling for something in the middle of the two options. Woman ( again, generally) rarely even counter offer and when they do, are much more likely to counter offer less aggressively and far more conservatively… again, settling in the middle of the to offers, but with being less aggressive in the counter offer, or simply not asking at all… end up making less money!
So on this point, I actually agree with her. Ugh.. that pains me to say, believe you me.
In any situation, perhaps Male Actor A and Female Actor B were initially offered similar pay…but Male Actor negotiated better terms for himself as happens every single day in business.
Or perhaps the system is horribly, sadly, skewed.
layla, She may have a point, but to say it is the obligation of one gender to be offered fair and equal wages is completely clearing herself of any burden.
They didn’t know to what degree they were being scaled back. This is like saying it’s okay to pay black workers less, because they don’t know white workers are paid more in the same firm, and it’s on them if they don’t ask for a completely different pay-scale. She’s full of crap.
Sorry, kiddo, but your analogy is a completely different situation. Paying salaried employees differently based upon sex or race is illegal and nothing to do with or in any way akin to negotiated fees for entertainment industry folk. These actors – male and female – have agents and managers who negotiate for them and their job is to protect them – it’s not Pascal’s job at all. Pascal’s job is to get the best deal for her studio. You can be sure these agents and managers know pretty well what other talent is negotiating for and getting. If they don’t then that’s on them.
Never said anything about legality, I was making an analogy that that SHE knew an entirely different pay scale was in play and that the others likely didn’t. She clearly negotiated a higher rate to men, so she thought that was the best deal for the studio, based on gender. Slice it as many ways as you like, but she was complicit.
That’s not her job to tell them what the men are getting. She’s running a studio, not representing actors and actresses who are up for parts in movies. Her job is to get the best bottomline financially. Whatever the actors and actresses’ agents work out is how it works.
If she were out telling actresses or actors what the others in the movie were getting and to fight for more, she would have been fired a long time ago.
Missing the point that she is offering at a much lower scale based on gender. The actresses didn’t set up the disparity, SHE DID.
You’re just not getting it, kiddo. It’s all about negotiations and that’s a 2 way street. Maybe I missed it but I haven’t ever seen an accounting of exactly how these negotiations went down or started. For all we know the actor (Lawrence or Adams) approached the studio to be a part of this and that included what they wanted for it. Negotiations to get a role sometimes involves low balling your demands in order to entice the studio to hire you.
In any event, this seems all just rank speculation on our parts.
Katherine You are speculating too. You have no idea whether the offer was delivered FROM the studio to agents, and not vice versa.
“As a woman, I figured that what I did was control how everybody felt about themselves and about me, that’s how I did my job. That’s kind of the way that a lot of us act as leaders and there was this horrible moment when I realized there was absolutely nothing at all that I could do about whether I’d hurt people, whether I’d betrayed people, whether I’d said things that I didn’t mean. I couldn’t protect anyone — not their feelings, not what they thought of me. It was horrible because that’s how I figured I did my job for all of my life. It was also strangely freeing because all of a sudden, it was just what it was.”
That was refreshingly honest and insightful of her. How leaders create a projection of themselves in everybody’s mind and control everything that way. Oh well, now that I’m writing it I realise that’s kinda normal among some kinds of leaders. Too bad she didn’t realise this when she still had the chance to change her ways. (Sigh)
Amy Pascal STAYS looking like she sleeps in her car every night and freshens up in the office bathroom
LOL she really does.
..In the dark.
…in the Port Authority Bus Terminal.
….and still smells anyways
Lol, that goes without sayin’.
She sounds the same way. I saw the video.
Hahaha, oh QQ, never change.
I think only time will show what Angelina actually thinks. I don’t remember that she dissed (openly) anyone from the industry. But I think she’ll find a way.
Perhaps Jolie was simply not about to sink to her level of crap-slinging. If those emails reflect her style of honest communication, I wouldn’t be surprised if she sees any regardful comment as “not caring about it”.
She came out the best out of all of it. She used proper grammar, full sentences, etc. She seemed REALLY jazzed and excited about the whole thing, and willing to do whatever it took.
Oh, yes. I was never really sure about her until those emails came out, because she always seemed SO well-spoken – or calculated. Now I know she’s simply an awesome and articulate person, nothing phoney about her.
It’s sad, but it made me happy too that AJ knew how to use proper capitalization and punctuation. LOL.
Even when no one is looking angelina out-classes them all.
^^This +100,000,000
Pascal must have some major dirt on some of the higher ups, if she got such a sweet firing package! Let’s just say, she must know where the bodies are buried!!!
I am sure that AJ cared and was probably/hurt embarassed by all of this. And t went down right before Unbroken, which is a project Angie cares alot about. I would like to see a pic of ANgie and Scott Rudin. He is the one who needs to get Maleficent-faced.
The whole debacle was overblown. What did we learn? That celebrities feel entitled and have big egos and people don’t find Adam Sandler very funny…well, stop the presses. Anyone who found something shocking must be living in a cave.
I am sure that AJ cared and was probably/hurt embarassed by all of this. And t went down right before Unbroken, which is a project Angie cares alot about. I would like to see a pic of ANgie and Scott Rudin. He is the one who needs to get Maleficent-faced.
The hacking didn’t get you fired. What you SAID in those email got you fired. My career is built around digging through other peoples’ email and the idea that ‘everyone does it’ is absurd. No, everyone doesn’t do it. And email never die. I repeat, EMAIL NEVER DIE. She’s only sorry she got caught…
‘a bottomless pit of need’ that sentence is so true.
Well after working in that industry for fifteen years I can tell you it’s true. Actors are very needy and they don’t make it by being nice either. It’s all a facade!
Daughter ofJean, for once we are on the same page. I’ve put in 10yrs and it feels like an eternity when I have to deal with actors.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTzs_jfQiIU
It’s weird..in this clip siri posted they edited out her saying ‘Angie didn’t care.’ Some outlets are so transparent.
As to Amy’s comment that it wouldn’t work if everyone was nice – I believe she means that if everyone is worried about offending or being too nice then no one would speak their mind and be truthful. Sometimes you just have to get down to brass tacks. At some point in one’s career you learn to speak up and put your cards on the table. You also learn that no matter how polite you may be there will always be someone taking offense at something or another and you just cannot worry about that.
I also agree with her about Jennifer Lawrence needing to learn her worth. Pascal was running a business and it was not her job to protect the financial interests of actors. Actors who have agents and managers who are paid very handsomely to do just that.
I think Angelina probably was WAY more pissed at Scott Rudin,
I think we’d know pretty easily if Angelina cares or not by how she treats those who have pissed her off, such as her father. We will see if Amy is similarly excommunicated as time passes.
Amy used to look a lot more ‘Hollywood’ when she started in the Sony job, nice clothes, makeup, styled hair etc, but it looks like the horror of working with such juvenile ego maniacs day in day out finally got to her . As she said her self, it’s probably a huge relief that she’s out of it entirely. Those George Clooney emails were the embodiment of everything she said about the ‘bottomless pits of need’ there were a lot of rumors doing the rounds about her having the hots for him and indulging him (fan girling basically) and that’s why he got the sweet deal with Sony after Warners turfed him off their lot.
Meh. I bet Angie didn’t care much. The reality is that’s how they are in Hollywood; the language and tone of those emails is how they generally talk and engage with each other in that industry. It sounds unprofessional and rude to most of us (and it is) but the entertainment industry isn’t like the rest of corporate America.
Jolie was raised in the biz, she knows how it is, her Dad was there before her she’d probably heard a lot of crap before ever making her first movie. Nothing Rudin said probably shocked her, he’s been known as the huge ass*ole for years. Brilliant but nuts. Eccentric and bad behavior is overlooked if the talent (or money-making ability) outweigh it.
i think what pple dont get is that there is no reaction from aj and that is what pple want. they want aj esp to whine or complain abt how unfair everyone is to her etc and like what was said earlier its like taylor swift – shake it off. more than enough stories have been said abt aj all the time but it hasnt affected her either in her life – no whining to different gossip sites or tabloids like others do but she carries on doing her job as an actress or a director and living her life. that is similar to taylor swift as well – pple like tina fey or amy p keep making comments abt her but she still carries on and is more successful and more well known than both tina and amy. same like aj – her name recognition is world wide and that is how the game is played. so i think her attitude is ignore and carry on doing what she is doing regardless of the things pple say. besides what is amy pascal anyway? she is trying so hard to be one of the boys and ending up looking like them too. very unprofessional
You are right. People want Angie to comment. They want her to throw a fit. And because she hasn’t they are trying to make every story about the Hack about her. Same thing when there are stories about her and Brad or their children. They want her to respond.
I’m glad she is not. Because that makes another story. And she nor Brad do respond. Good thing. Let people speculate. That is all they have. While she goes on and does her thing.
I think that is what pisses off her detractors more. She doesn’t let anyone run her or her life or her choices.
So, does this mean that you should tell people if he or she has bad breath?