Actress Rose McGowan just challenged Hollywood to fix its woman problem.
On Jan. 5 at the New York Film Critics Circle awards gala, the 41-year-old actress accepted the Best First Film award on behalf of Australian director Jennifer Kent for "The Babadook." In her speech, McGowan voiced her frustrations with the lack of opportunities for female film directors.
McGowan, who made her own directorial debut last year, began her speech by "singling herself and Kent out as part of the paltry six percent of female filmmakers currently working in the industry," IndieWire reported. She asked Hollywood to confront its own sexism, and gave some cheeky (and smart) advice to those worrying about dwindling numbers at the box office:
Let's give the six percent a shot. Cause that represents 50 percent of the audience, of which I am a member. I am not being served and I am not being heard. I ask you to take up the hand of the female director until we no longer say "female director." It is a unisex term. I am a director. Jennifer Kent is a director. Let’s do smart, let’s bring it. She did. I think she's thrown down the gauntlet. When they say, "Oh, the box office is down," it's perhaps because we don't need more fucking superhero movies! It’s time. It’s getting a little old and Jennifer is a wonderful, dedicated director and I can’t wait to see what she does next.
Can we get an amen?
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