Madeleine Stowe talks #MeToo in Dubai
The ‘12 Monkeys’ and ‘Revenge’ actress helped raise money in the city on Friday evening
Madeleine Stowe may be known to keep a low profile in Hollywood, but she’s been making steady moves into the world of TV over the past decade.
Stowe received a Golden Globe nomination in 2012 for her performance in the ABC drama Revenge, and is now considering developing a 10-part series with her actor-husband Brian Benben.
The 12 Monkeys actress, who was in Dubai on Friday evening at Bovet 1822’s Brilliant is Beautiful gala to raise funds for Artists for Peace and Justice (APJ) and Dubai Cares, told tabloid! she was currently developing two projects.
“One was meant for the large screen and now somebody wants us to turn into a 10-part series, so that’s an interesting thought. We’re trying to figure out how to do [this], my husband and I,” said Stowe.
The actress, 60, will also be starring in Netflix’s upcoming ensemble show, Mixtape, alongside Jenna Dewan and Callie Hernandez. The series, from Quantico creator Josh Safran, is set to air in 2020.
“[It’s] really kind of charming and wonderful… It has a musical component, so people have these strange coincidences in their life and then they go into these fantastical sequences and they’re lip-synching to pop songs. Beyonce’s choreographer is doing all the choreography for it,” said Stowe.
Stowe’s latest film credit is listed as the 2009
TV movie The Christmas Hope. She most recently made a TV appearance on the 12 Monkeys series in 2016.
“They don’t make [movies] like Last of the Mohicans or 12 Monkeys [anymore]. You know, the films that were made for budgets anywhere between $35 million (Dh128.54 million) and $80 million, they don’t do that. They do the $200 million or they do everything under 15, and so all actors now are moving into television,” she said.
Stowe also touched on recent social movements within Hollywood, such as the #MeToo campaign to expose sexual harassment in the industry. It initially gained momentum when several actresses spoke up against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.
Stowe was in several films where Weinstein served as executive or coexecutive producer, such as Playing by Heart (1998) and Imposter (2001).
“I have to tell you a funny story. I have never had a #MeToo moment in the industry. I was one of the really lucky ones. But apparently, it was rampant, so much so that I was sort of shocked,” said Stowe.
“I had dealings with Harvey Weinstein and never had a problem, because he was always trying to convince me to do a movie, so it’s always the balance of power, and I didn’t want to do them. And he would end up talking me into it. But I never had anyone being anything other than courteous. And if you were right for a project, you were right, if you weren’t — to me, it was very transactional... But it’s women who don’t have the power to speak up, who have to deal with a lot of harassment in the workplace that is a real cause for concern. And it’s really important that the experience of actresses during the #MeToo movement do not overshadow what real women are going through,” Stowe added.
Stowe, one of the founding members of APJ, recalled setting up a school in Haiti in the aftermath of the devastating 2010 earthquake, and continues to work towards access to education for young girls across the global.
“I came from a very difficult background, personally. And I felt that I had great good fortune within that. We had a social system in America at the time that allowed you to stay afloat… My father was desperately ill and my mother was in charge of taking care of him and three children because he couldn’t work anymore. I feel as if I’ve been fortunate in life,” said Stowe.
“I’m pretty funny about actors becoming involved politically... I think that people tend to view actors with suspicion as if we’re trying to gain attention. And I think some people maybe are, and others are just very passionate about what they believe. But I think the idea is to give voice to the voiceless, always, if you can,” she said.
“It’s women who don’t have the power to speak up... that is a real cause for concern.
MADELEINE STOWE | Actress