Jennifer Esposito Says A “Harvey Weinstein-Esque” Producer Almost “Killed” Her Careet At 26
deadline.comAs she makes her directorial debut, Jennifer Esposito recently reflected on how her early career was impacted by a “Harvey Weinstein-esque” producer.
The Fresh Kills writer and director recalled the “really painful time” in her life, when the producer had her fired “for no reason” and went on to lie about her on-set behavior, telling others not to work with her. “He literally had the power and used it to completely end a young girl’s career at 26 years old,” said Esposito on the She Pivots podcast. “This was a notorious, brutal producer, a Harvey Weinstein-esque type person.” She recalled, “So, he fired me for no reason.
He wanted someone else, and he got her. But then, anybody that called and was like, ‘Hey, I want to hire her,’ he’s like, ‘Don’t hire her.’ He said I was a drug addict, locked myself in a trailer — never happened.” Esposito said her agency also dropped her due to the fallout. “I casually got moved to the desk of the assistant and then casually [pushed] out the door, and I couldn’t get work.
I didn’t have an agent and a manager for two and a half years,” she said. Although she did not name the producer or the project from which she was fired, Esposito said it “was a really, really painful time” for her, adding: “Because that kid who was waiting tables and that kid who had these dreams since she was a baby, he literally took it because he could and killed it.” Esposito helms and stars in Fresh Kills as Francine, the wife of an organized crime boss in 1980s New York City.
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