While Hollywood puts on a very public face of trying to be progressive when it comes to race and gender in the industry, there remains, at all levels of the ladder, entrenched power structures and dynamics that perpetuate sexism and racism. And a simple story by Alison Brie about auditioning for an episode of HBO‘s “Entourage” reinforces how much change still needs to happen.
Speaking at the ATX Television Festival, the actress revealed how her tryout for the bro-y comedy series took a turn toward the disgusting.
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“It has not changed that much. The audition process has not changed that much,” Brie said. “Early in my career, I auditioned for three lines on an episode of ‘Entourage’ that I had to go on in a bikini! Or like shorts and the tiniest shorts. And they were like, ‘Okay, can you take your top off now?’ ”
The casting director of Brie’s new Netflix series “G.L.O.W.” was mortified to hear what the star went through, adding that there was no reason why somebody in that room shouldn’t have intervened.
Nor I – makes me sick there are producers who abuse their power & if there was a Casting Director present, they did nothing? Inexcusable. https://t.co/BQZdfafg2c
— Jen Euston Casting (@jeneuston) June 11, 2017
While this may have happened quite a few years ago, it’s probably a safe bet these kinds of tactics are still being used around Hollywood. But hopefully Brie’s story will spur more responsibility in those audition rooms from people who are holding the careers of young actors and actresses in their hand.
“G.L.O.W.” launches on June 23rd. [EW]