Mira Sorvino got candid about her experiences in Hollywood at 90s Con this weekend.
On Sunday, Sorvino 56 appeared alongside Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon on a panel — moderated by PEOPLE Editor-in-Chief Wendy Naugle — that looked at each group’s memorable 1990s work. During the conversation, Romy and Michele’s high school reunion the star opened up about the difficulties she faced in her career.
“When I was nominated against winning, there were clauses in my contracts that were in place at the time that ‘if she wins, she gets this…’ But I definitely got more money because I made $10,000 for the movie that won me the Oscar because. That’s when I went into another echelon,” she said during an event held in Hartford, Connecticut.
“It was definitely an upgrade for me in terms of the scripts that were being offered, but basically I wasn’t known before,” she continued. “I mean, it was my 10th film, but I wasn’t a household name. I had journalists on a few different projects, e.g. Quiz and Barcelona, but people didn’t really know who I was. So through that Oscar season, that turned me into a known actress, not an unknown one.”
Sorvino, who won the 1996 Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her work in the film Mighty Aphrodite, added: “I had a lot of wonderful offers for a while, and then Harvey Weinstein stifled my career. So I stopped working [major] studio films after 1998.”
The actress apologized to the crowd as she began to cry, noting that in 1998 she “rejected him for the third time”.
Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 16 more years in prison after rape conviction: Reports
Weinstein (70) was found guilty of rape and sexual assault in 2020. He received a 23-year sentence, which has since been increased by 16 years.
Sorvino has previously come forward with allegations of sexual abuse against Weinstein.
During the Sunday forum, she pointed out the consequences that these events had on her career. “I stopped being a successful movie actress,” she said. “I was still doing indie and I was doing television, but it was very difficult.” That work, including her performance in Shining Vale on Starz, it was praised by critics.
Sorvino said she “didn’t know what was going on” with her career at the time, but she reportedly stopped getting offers for roles. “It became, you know, kind of feeling like fate just wasn’t on my side, but it was just a matter of time ’til I got my status back,” she said.
“But then I got married. I became a mother,” she continued. “I became a UN goodwill ambassador in the fight against human trafficking, [which has] just been a big part of my life. This is a position I have held officially since 2009. But yes, my family. My family is everything to me and I don’t see my worth as a famous actress. I see my value as a good person.”
Mira Sorvino says Woody Allen and Harvey Weinstein ‘tarnished’ her early career: ‘It’s hard to talk about’
Mira Sorvino at 90s Con 2024.
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Following up on Sorvino’s comments, Sarandon said, “I don’t think people talk enough about the people who made it possible for the Harvey Weinsteins in the world who are still functioning and who are just as responsible. who knew when they were sending people to the hotel, who didn’t I pay attention when someone complains.”
“Sexualization is like a mainstay of this business. So it’s very confusing to be, you know, a young girl and to know that they’re checking your viability, based on how sexy you are. You know that, right? You know that’s something that happens,” Sarandon, 77, continued. “They call it chemistry or whatever they want to call it. But it’s part of what you bring to the table. Like it or not, it’s there. There was a big boom in this whole thing and then Harvey Weinstein, thank God, was punished despite in all likelihood. But I don’t think we did the cleanup after that that we should have done.”
All the 90s shows to get you ready for 90s Con 2024 — and where to watch!
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(L-R) Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon and Mira Sorvino at 90s Con 2024.
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In recent years, Sorvino has been getting roles in The sound of freedom (2023), Lamborghini: The man behind the legend (2022), After Ever After (2022) and Recall: American Crime Story (2021). She also recently appeared in the acclaimed but short-lived Starz series, Shining Vale.
“I also just want to say that thanks to Geena’s work [Davis]Institute. I believe it’s a show that unfortunately just got cancelled, but I loved it so much Shining Vale with Courteney Cox and Greg Kinnear, who had a 50/50 team,” she said. “She had [an] a room for all the writers except for Jeff Astrof, our wife of honor, and in it were all the female directors. Every single episode in two seasons was directed by female directors. So changes are happening.”
All three panelists and Oscar winners were part of some of the most beloved films of the 90s: Davis memorably starred in A league of its own (1992), Stuart Little (1999) and A long kiss good night (1996). She won an Oscar in 1989 for her role in Accidental tourist. Sarandon’s films from that decade include Foster mother (1998), Little woman (1994) and Walking Dead (1995), for which she won Best Actress in a Leading Role at the 68th Academy Awards.
Of course, Davis and Sarandon are still famous for their wildly popular 1991 film Thelma & Louise, directed by Ridley Scott. The film features the stars as two women who embark on a journey that turns into a crime spree.
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Both Davis and Sarandon received Academy Award nominations in the Best Actress category for these roles, and the film was inscribed in the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry in 2016. Thelma & Louise also starring Harvey Keitel and Michael Madsen. It is also remembered as one of Brad Pitt’s early standout performances.
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This March edition of 90s Con featured a reunion of the cast from shows like 7. heaven, Boy Meets World, Dawson’s Creek, Full house and Step by stepas well as Davis and Sarandon Thelma & Louise reunion.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
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Source: HIS Education