There’s a lot going on in the new film “All About Nina.” Without spoiling too much, there’s a reveal towards the end of the film that changes the tone of the work and adds a new layer to the indie film about a young stand-up comedian trying to figure out her life. And the woman at the center of it all is none other than Mary Elizabeth Winstead. And in a new interview, she explains growing up in the acting biz and why one of the more controversial scenes, involving a joke about a #MeToo accusation, in ‘Nina’ was cut from the script.
Giving an incredible performance in the film, Winstead is able to tap into a lot of different emotions in the film, while proving that her range is even more expansive than audiences realized from her days in “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.” And one of the emotions the actress tapped into for ‘Nina’ was that of a trauma survivor. So, when she was asked, in a recent Vulture interview, about being a woman in a business dominated by men, Winstead opened up about her own experiences.
“…I absolutely had every kind of microaggression you can think of, in terms of little remarks, or being put down, or not given respect because I was a young woman. All of that I felt on a daily basis. So I can absolutely relate to everything that women are feeling right now. Whatever your experience has been, from the microaggression to the larger-scale attacks, we’re all feeling the same pain, the same anger on behalf of ourselves and each other,” explained Winstead.
So, while the film tackles female trauma, love, and just about everything else life throws at you, there was one subject that was deemed too much for the film. According to Winstead, there was a joke about someone accused of sexual assault recently that was in the original script but was soon removed.
“I was making a joke about my appearance and saying like, ‘At least I’m not Louis C.K.,’ or something. ‘You get to see a hot girl onstage.’ And then the audience was supposed to boo. Because they didn’t like me making fun of Louis C.K., and then I was gonna say, ‘It’s okay, he locks women in rooms and masturbates in front of them,’” she says.
Winstead admits the script included the scene before the infamous New York Times piece that outed C.K. and his antics. She, and everyone involved in the film, realized that once it was out in the open, the impact was dampened quite a bit.
READ MORE: “These Stories Are True”: Louis C.K. Addresses Sexual Misconduct Allegations
She continues, “And we had this little discussion about it, because you know, people were like, ‘Do we really wanna go there? Do we wanna say that?’ And then Jamie [Loftus], who was our comedian on set, was like, ‘Yes, this would mean so much to comedy. We’re all talking about this. It’s a big deal in the comedy world.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah. Say it. If that’s what’s happening, we gotta talk about it.’ But then obviously by the time the movie came out, it was kind of a moot point.”
The aforementioned Times article, as well as chatter on social media and in other interviews, alludes to the Louis C.K. controversy being one of the more open secrets in the stand-up comedy world. It was such a well-known fact that when the accusations first were made public, in the article, C.K. never once denied them, and instead, admitted fault. That being said, fans were still upset and disgusted by the comedian.
One of those fans is Winstead. She admits that she was once a fan of C.K., as were many that used to flood sold-out theaters to watch him perform. However, she admits that has changed. That being said, Winstead thinks that C.K. does have the right to do his job and perform. Just, people also have the right to ignore him.
“I was actually a huge fan of his. Of course, I think everyone has a right to continue to do what they do for a living, unless they’re going to jail or whatever is the thing to do, but I don’t think people should have to listen to him anymore. I don’t listen to him anymore. I used to think he was this evolved person who had a real understanding of humanity, and that’s why I was a fan of his. And I clearly don’t think that about him anymore because of what he’s done, and also his lack of ability to reflect on that and bring that to his stand-up. He’s not showing that he’s learned from that. So there’s just no interest in him for me,” she concludes.
“All About Nina” is in select theaters now.