Star power a talking point in Rush case
GOLDEN Globe-winning director Fred Schepisi told a court yesterday that his friend Geoffrey Rush has the same star power as Clint Eastwood and Harrison Ford.
Mr Schepisi also argued Mr Rush was comparable to Sir John Gielgud and had the same level of stardom as Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro and Al Pacino.
The 67-year-old is suing The Daily Telegraph over a series of articles late in 2017 which reported that a young actor had lodged a complaint with the Sydney Theatre Company over his alleged “inappropriate behaviour”.
The actor was later named as Eryn Jean Norvill, who played Mr Rush’s daughter Cordelia in the STC production.
In a pre-trial hearing, the court was told that Ms Norvill would give evidence that she was the target of sexual harassment during the King Lear season including an incident during a preview in which Mr Rush ran his hand “down her torso and traced across her right breast”.
Mr Schepisi disagreed with a written report by LAbased attorney Richard Marks, who is expected to give evidence next week, arguing Mr Rush’s career would recover if he was vindicated.
“I have a whole film that will now not be made because of the #MeToo movement,” he added.
The Federal Court yesterday launched into a legal debate on what exactly was meant by “star power”. Justice Michael Wigney said: “On one hand Kim Kardashian is a star. The word star is indeterminate and unclear ... Does it just mean popularity?”
... BECAUSE OF THE VARIETY OF WORK HE DOES AND HIS POPULARITY OUTSIDE AMERICA, IN EUROPE AND OTHER PLACES, AND FOR PROJECTS WHICH REQUIRE REALLY GOOD ACTING FRED SCHEPISI LIKENS GEOFFREY RUSH’S POPULARITY TO CLINT EASTWOOD AND HARRISON FORD
The newspaper’s barrister Tom Blackburn, SC, then asked Mr Schepisi: “Are you seriously suggesting Mr Rush is the same level of star as Harrison Ford and Clint Eastwood?”
“Yes I am actually, because of the variety of work he does and his popularity outside America, in Europe and other places, and for projects which require really good acting,” said Mr Schepisi, who directed Mr Rush in Eye of The Storm.
Mr Schepisi said he had invited Mr Rush and his wife Jane Menelaus to his birthday party on Boxing Day to cheer him up after the allegations were published.
“Sam Neill offered to come down and stay with and drive them to the party so they would be comfortable. Everybody was trying to help them and put them at their ease,” he said. Mr Rush ended up joining in the singing.
The Oscar winner denies any wrongdoing and claims two front page articles in the newspaper about the alleged incident painted him as a “pervert” and “sexual predator”.
The newspaper argues the stories published on November 30 and December 1 last year draw on allegations made by Ms Norvill and are true. The hearing continues.