Rose Byrne is joining the growing list of actresses calling out Hollywood sexism, an issue that is back in the headlines. The Australian actress called it an “illegal” practice, since it is against the law to discriminate based on gender in most industries.
Byrne’s comments to Pridesource come just after the ACLU announced last week that it wants federal and state agencies to investigate the gender gap in Hollywood, especially when it comes to directors. But it’s also an issue in front of the camera.
“The statistics are still so dreadful for women in film,” the Spy actress said. “Now the ACLU is doing an investigation into it because they're starting to realize it's actually discrimination - it's not just good ol' fashioned misogyny that everyone's quietly tolerated for years.”
Byrne further explained, “All that stuff that was leaked through the Internet when Sony was hacked - it all speaks for itself. So, it is beyond just misogyny. It's legitimate discrimination based on gender, which is illegal. Any discrimination is, whether it's sexuality, race or gender.”
Her comment comes just after Maggie Gyllenhaal recalled being told that she was told she was too old to play a 55-year-old man’s love interest when she was 37. Even Anna Kendrick told Glamour that she was told that male actors have to be cast before women.
Byrne will next be seen in Spy, which stars Melissa McCarthy as a spy and hits theaters on June 5.
image courtesy of INFphoto.com