Maggie Gyllenhaal, star and executive producer of HBO’s period drama “The Deuce”, spoke with SiriusXM about the #MeToo scandals that surround costar James Franco, saying that shutting down the show because if it would be the wrong thing to do.
The show, which follows the sex industry from prostitution to the rise of pornography, is described by Gyllenhaal as being about “transactional sex. It’s about inequality in the entertainment business.” If anything, it seems as though Franco, who plays twins on the show, is underlining this point even more so.
Allegations of sexual misconduct have surrounded Franco for years. After directing and starring in last year’s “The Disaster Artist” many assumed he was a lock for Oscar nominations, however when allegations of inappropriate and sexual behavior resurfaced, he was snubbed.
Franco has adamantly denied all allegations, but last week, one of his former co-stars pained a different picture of him in her memoir.
A portrait of James Franco. Photo courtesy of latimes.com
Busy Philipps, who starred alongside Franco from 1999-2000 in the short lived “Freaks and Geeks,” described in her new memoir “This Will Only Hurt a Little” being assaulted by Franco, who violently pushed her to the ground on set.
Philipps says he was forced to apologize the next day, but that the actor never faced repercussions for his actions.
Franco and Philipps in “Freaks and Geeks.” Photo courtesy of pagesix.com
Gyllenhaal says that she and other producers spoke with every woman on the HBO set and asked if they all felt comfortable and respected, to which they all agreed they did. After that, they unanimously decided to keep production going.
After watching the first season of “The Deuce” last year, I became a huge Maggie Gyllenhaal fan. Previously, I’d seen her as inferior to her brother, Jake Gyllenhaal, but after watching her give such a raw and powerful performance, she’s cemented herself on my radar.
While I think the whole Franco situation is complicated to say the least, I’m not sure what the right move would be. However, I think that Gyllenhaal individually speaking with all women working on the show was a great move. This is a prime example of why more women need to be working behind the scenes.
Full disclosure, I have yet to start season two of “The Deuce” but I plan to binge it once the whole season becomes available on HBO Go. Gyllenhaal also has a new Netflix film, “The Kindergarten Teacher” which will be available to stream on October 12.
What do you think about the James Franco situation? Do you believe the allegations? Do you think the show should be shut down or do you think Maggie Gyllenhaal did the right thing? Let us know in the comments below!
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