Rachel Brosnahan is the star of Amazon’s new hit, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. So far, she’s won both the Golden Globe and the Critics’ Choice Award for her role. Although she’s been a working actress since 2009 and appeared on hit shows like The Blacklist, her breakout role is considered to be Rachel Posner on House of Cards. In between House of Cards and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Rachel appeared in Woody Allen’s Amazon series, Crisis in Six Scenes. When asked about working with Allen during an interview, Rachel, like Ellen Page, Greta Gerwig, Rebecca Hall and Timothee Chalamet, admitted she regretted that decision.
Rachel Brosnahan says she deeply regrets working with writer/director Woody Allen on Amazon’s 2016 limited series Crisis in Six Scenes. Allen has been accused by his daughter, Dylan Farrow, of molestation.
“Look, I had a great experience working on that project,” Brosnahan said during an interview for The Hollywood Reporter’s ‘Awards Chatter’ podcast. “But I do have to take this opportunity to say that, for me, I have really struggled with the decision to do that project for a long time.”
She continued: “Honestly, it’s the decision that I have made in my life that is the most inconsistent with everything I stand for and believe in, both publicly and privately. And while I can’t take it back, it’s important to me, moving forward, to make decisions that better reflect the things that I value and my worldview.”
It seems like there are now three categories of actors who worked with Allen: The pre-2014 (the year Dylan Farrow’ wrote her essay about her abuse) actors, the post 2014 actors and the post 2014 actors who regret it. I am not sure if Rachel struggled with the decision at the time she made it or if Rachel learned about Dylan’s story after she took the role. I don’t want to put words in her mouth so I will focus on the second part of her comment about making “decisions that better reflect the things that I value and my worldview.” This is where I am in my life. I have been made aware how much I have acted from white privilege thus far. I can’t undo that, unfortunately, but I can move forward making better decisions from what I’ve learned. So, I am happy for Rachel. She obviously has a hit on her hands with Mrs. Maisel and I’m glad that will allow her the freedom to make choices based on her conscience.
As for House of Cards going forward with Robin Wright and without Kevin Spacey, Rachel said she was excited to see Robin take over the show. Rachel also made the point, and I whole-heartedly agree, that she’d like to see the discussion change because “we need to make sure that we don’t keep letting shitty men dominate the conversation about extraordinary women.” Hear, hear.
Photo credit: WENN Photos
She’s SO talented. she also starred in the Manhattan Project after House of Cards and I believe won an award for that. I can relate to her explanation. I’m glad she didn’t make any excuses. She doesn’t say “it was such a good opportunity for my career” or “I was young”. She just flat out says “I weighed it, did it anyway, but moving forward I intend to make different choices.”
I just watched Mrs.Maisel and she is amazing.
she is brilliant in Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, actually the entire show is great.
I like her explanation. She owns that she did it for whatever reasons and hopes to do better.
I can somewhat understand that young actors or actresses that have not made a name for themselves, chose to work with Woody Allen. It was a great opportunity for them to advance a career they have put a lot of effort into. And as long as big names apparently did not have a problem with it, why should they?
I suppose that will now change.
I agree with your entire comment.
I feel like her PR wrote a great response.
Yes they did.
Pretty sure she said this in an in-person interview
OMG – just realized she is the Rachel from H.O.C. Wow. Great actress.
I like the first two dresses here
Can’t say I’m a huge fan of people being torn between working with a pedophile or literally not working with one.
+1
What about the choice between working with a pedophile or…..eating? or…. housing? What if that is the only work they are offered?
I have lost two careers because I have stuck with my principles. I am now facing old age with no pension, and no savings.
Looking back, would I have made different choices, if it secured my finances as a senior? If I had understood how much my body would hurt and how many doors would close as a senior, would I have stuck with my pricinples the way I did? Or would I have accepted the work to ease the fear and the pain I now experience daily?
I have no answers, only questions……..
I’m sorry you were even put in that position because of the abusive, predatory actions of a male, Plantpal.
Ugh. (and I love her)
Last line was great about HOC. Meh about her response about Allen but she made one so okay. Not sure why people think Allen makes projects that elevate them that much. I don’t buy that anymore.
But until I hear from more men I’ll take this statement at face value. Do better next time.
I’m sure she did it because of the career boost- important to her at the stage of her career where she didn’t have any big roles in her resume, the biggest being a guest spot on HOC. I can’t be too mad at her for it. An actor like Colin Firth wouldn’t need the career boost, but she wasn’t really in a position yet to turn down roles on principle. Now she is, and she will. It’s a tough spot to be in. I focus more anger on actors who were established enough to not need the role.
I completely agree. I’m so mad at Colin Firth.
This is exactly what I wanted to say. I still find it disappointing and icky, but I can understand someone trying to reach the next level, like her or Selena Gomez, taking one of these roles than someone who clearly doesn’t need it.
As much as I wish everyone would do the right thing all the time, I’m glad she and the others are now regretting it and publicly stating they wouldn’t do it again. They’re learning from their mistakes and setting the standard for others, which is important.
Her response makes me dislike her but at least she’s being honest. Basically, she’s saying “I knew he was a child molester, but listen I really wanted to work for him” Which while more honest then most is still a pretty disgusting thing to say.
That being said I wish most of Hollywood would just admit to the fact that yes they knew he molested her but they wanted to work with him anyway. Just admit to the fact that they didn’t care about who he hurt so long as they had a potential to get a stupid award.
“This is where I am in my life. I have been made aware how much I have acted from white privilege thus far. I can’t undo that, unfortunately, but I can move forward making better decisions from what I’ve learned.”
THIS!
I feel that all too often we don’t take into account that people can learn and change and grow. I see a lot of flack against Natalie Portman for signing that Polanski petition but she did that 10 years ago. Perhaps, just perhaps, she’s grown and learned a few things since then?
It’s not the mistakes that we make it’s what we learn from them and what we do after them that should matter.
Rachel made a mistake working for Woody Allen. She’s now acknowledged that. Let’s wait and see what she does next before we judge her too harshly.
And to be clear, I’m not saying that we should forgive people like Woody Allen or Harvey Weinstein (and dozens of others) for their disgusting behavior. We shouldn’t.
I’m saying that maybe we shouldn’t be so quick to judge other women for making one or two poor choices.
Except Kate Winslet. Her we can judge. Daily.
Natalie Portman didn’t really need to sign that petition for career reasons though. I didn’t get the point of committing her signature to that petition. There really was no need. She must have really believed in the principle of the petition to bother signing it.
I don’t know much about her but she is a revelation on Ms. Maisel. The whole show is great and definitely worth watching.
Really? Seems like a no-brainer to me.
“…It’s the decision that I have made in my life that is the most inconsistent with everything I stand for and believe in, both publicly and privately. And while I can’t take it back, it’s important to me, moving forward, to make decisions that better reflect the things that I value and my worldview.” <That's so real, and so human.
Not relevant to this conversation, but I would like to add that she is stunningly gorgeous.