The #TimesUp and #MeToo movements have re-energized the conversation around Woody Allen, particularly as Dylan Farrow has spoken publicly about her sexual abuse allegations against her 82-year-old father. The result has seen actors including Ellen Page, Greta Gerwig, Rebecca Hall, and Timothée Chalamet all expressing remorse in having worked with the director in the past, while Alec Baldwin has defended the filmmaker. Meanwhile, Amazon is considering ending the contract they signed with Allen, a decision which could be quite costly (they are currently the distributors of the director’s next picture, “A Rainy Day In New York“).
The discussion continued on “Meet the Press Daily” where Jeff Daniels and Peter Sarsgaard were promoting the Hulu series “The Looming Tower.” Daniels starred in the indisputably great “The Purple Rose of Cairo” with Mia Farrow, while Sarsgaard appeared in “Blue Jasmine” playing Cate Blanchett‘s boy-toy on the side. Host Chuck Todd asked them both about the #MeToo movement and whether or not they’d work again with Allen, and Daniels shared his conflicted feelings on the subject.
“It’s a difficult decision because of ‘Purple Rose of Cairo,’ ” Daniels said. “That movie will always be a great experience, a great movie for me, and he will always be a great American filmmaker. I got to work with him at the age of 30, and it changed my life.”
“I believe Dylan Farrow, would I do another one with Woody? The difficult decision would be to turn him down,” added Daniels whose big break in “The Purple Rose of Cairo,” garnered the 53-year-old actor a Golden Globe nomination.
Both Daniels and Sarsgaard struggle with separating the art from the artist, along with their professional experiences working with him. As the discussion continues, Sarsgaard says that while he’d never work with Allen again, he’d certainly rewatch the director’s films.
“The Looming Tower,” a 10-episode mini-series from Hulu, premieres today.
