'Sexism is rife everywhere': Zeta-Jones hopes Weinstein scandal spells end for 'dinosaur' men

Harvey Weinstein's fall should be the end of "dinosaur" men preying on women, Hollywood star Catherine Zeta-Jones said as she premiered a film about a woman who had a brutally efficient way of dealing with chauvinism.

Harvey Weinstein Catherine Zeta-Jones

Harvey Weinstein (left) is pictured here in 2003 with Catherine Zeta-Jones (second right) and other cast members of the movie-musical, 'Chicago'. Source: AAP

The Oscar-winning actress said on Tuesday she hoped Weinstein's disgrace would be the "tipping point, or at last a turning point" in the treatment of women not just in Hollywood but in "any industry, corporation, school or college".

"Let's hope that big old dinosaur of men thinking they can get away with that sort of behaviour is extinct as of now," she told reporters.

The British-born star, who plays the notorious Colombian drug baron Griselda Blanco in new TV film 'Cocaine Godmother', joked her character had a rather direct way of dealing with male sexism: "Shoot them in the head."
Zeta-Jones said while that would not be her approach, as a woman "you have to give her that, as we still fight for equality in the workplace".

"Griselda had no redeeming traits but the one thing she did have was the ability to stand up against men in a male world," she said as the film screened at MIPCOM, the top TV industry gathering, in Cannes on the French Riviera.   

Sexism is not "just a problem in the film, theatrical or TV industry", 48-year-old Zeta-Jones added.

"It is rife everywhere. As women we get knocked down as being ambitious. Men don't get that. We should be proud of being ambitious, we shouldn't hide it." 

Zeta-Jones said she hoped lessons were being learned from the Weinstein affair.

"Otherwise we truly are stuck in a world that's very sad and very destructive," she said.

Despite the dangers from predators, she advised young actors "not to lose your vulnerability - it is essential to your craft. Vulnerability is a beautiful character trait and we should have it and be allowed to have it. But it's important that we know it's protected".

Earlier Willow Grylls, producer of TV series 'The Missing', said fixating on one man and one industry "missed the point".

"It is much wider than that. It's about abuse of power," she said.

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Published 17 October 2017 10:27pm


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