On Wednesday night, Seth Meyers interviewed Allison Williams at the 92Y. The very first question Meyers asked the actress is how she and her family were doing, given the difficult times they were experiencing. Her father, news anchor Brian Williams, was suspended for six months without pay from his job at NBC Nightly News for falsely reporting being in a shot-down helicopter in Iraq.
The 92Y prohibited any recordings at the event, but from my chicken-scratched notes of Williams' eloquent — albeit brief — discussion of her father, I can tell you she came to his defense in full. The actress acknowledged that it's been challenging for her family, and it's part of the reason she's postponed her wedding plans. But, she also shared that she's been overwhelmed with love and support from friends, colleagues, and even strangers. "He's a really good man," she told Meyers and the audience. "He's an honest man. He's a truthful man," who she "can't wait to see back on TV."
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There's a reason Meyers asked that question first — to get it out of the way. Williams' appearance at the 92Y wasn't to be her father's PR machine. And, the real takeaways of her interview are about the compelling things she had to say about the roles available for women both in film and television. Below, some thoughts from the Girls actress that probably won't get enough press today.
The industry tends to cast male leads first
She wishes it wasn't this way, but Williams said in her experience, films are cast first with male leads, then with female counterparts. She believes this is an outdated practice, and that the industry "needs to catch up with itself." Word. She's turned down movie roles that weren't substantial enough
The actress shared that she won't take a role if it's not a character she feels she truly knows and understands, or wants to know and understand. Too often, she's heard that in films the directors "like their women simple."
She wishes it wasn't this way, but Williams said in her experience, films are cast first with male leads, then with female counterparts. She believes this is an outdated practice, and that the industry "needs to catch up with itself." Word. She's turned down movie roles that weren't substantial enough
The actress shared that she won't take a role if it's not a character she feels she truly knows and understands, or wants to know and understand. Too often, she's heard that in films the directors "like their women simple."
The reason more women are moving to television
Williams explained that, as a result of aforementioned terrible industry standards and practices, more women are taking roles on television. As she explained, they get more hours on screen and more dialogue that way. Women are bankable
Williams doesn't understand why Hollywood is so afraid to make a female-centric film. "Women are bankable," she told the 92Y audience. "We bring in money." To back up that claim, she cited such powerhouse films as Brave, Frozen, and The Hunger Games. Boom.
Williams explained that, as a result of aforementioned terrible industry standards and practices, more women are taking roles on television. As she explained, they get more hours on screen and more dialogue that way. Women are bankable
Williams doesn't understand why Hollywood is so afraid to make a female-centric film. "Women are bankable," she told the 92Y audience. "We bring in money." To back up that claim, she cited such powerhouse films as Brave, Frozen, and The Hunger Games. Boom.
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