South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
‘She Said’ actor keeps focus on victims
In most cases, a working actor who lands the role of a supervillain at the center of a big Hollywood movie is going to soak up every minute in the spotlight.
But that isn’t the situation for Mike Houston, who plays disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein in “She Said.” Not only did the actor take a pass on walking the red carpet at the movie’s New York Film Festival premiere in October — he skipped the screening altogether.
“There would have been so much focus pulled to see who’s playing Harvey,” Houston, 46, said.
According to the actor, it was important for him and everyone else who worked on the movie to keep the focus on the survivors of Weinstein’s brutality, as well as New York Times reporters Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, who helped bring down the film producer and rapist.
At this time, Weinstein is taking a break from a 23-year prison sentence in New York to stand trial on separate sex crimes charges in Los Angeles.
Houston said that he and his wife — who works with organizations that support women who have been traumatized by abuse — decided that even hearing “Where’s Harvey? Who’s playing Harvey?” shouted out from a movie premiere photo line might have made the film’s debut uncomfortable for attendees who had come into contact with the Miramax founder.
“You’re talking about a red carpet premiere, where the name ‘Harvey!’ is being yelled,” he said.
Houston said that he even asked not be credited so that neither Weinstein or his victims would see the convicted sex offender’s name on the screen.
“That’s how we came to know who Harvey Weinstein was and gave this power to him,” Houston said.
The actor, known to “Orange is the New Black” fans as CO Lee Dixon, said that thankfully, MGMUniversal was “very kind” and set up a private screening for him and his wife so they could see “She Said” without being a distraction.
Houston — a selfdescribed “big dude” who stands 6 feet, 1 inch tall, has broad shoulders and played offensive line on his school football teams — said that his heart “skipped a beat” when his intimidating character shows up in the movie.
Ironically, Houston can’t say more about his role in “She Said” because he signed a nondisclosure agreement. He said he never knew such contracts could also be used to silence rape victims. But Houston was able to say that the film’s producers wound up crediting him in the movie anyway, and he’s proud to have been a part of the project.
“Even if I have an actors’ moment like ‘Oh man, it would have been nice to have my picture taken with everyone else, it’s my premiere,’ that (goes) away real fast,” he said. “I truly believe the universe kind of works in its own way and whatever is going to happen for me is going to happen if we do it the right way, which is to focus on the survivors.”
Dec. 4 birthdays: TV host Wink Martindale is 89. Actor Max Baer Junior is
85. Actor Jeff Bridges is
73. Actor Patricia Wettig is 71. Actor Tony Todd is 68. Singer Cassandra Wilson is 67. Actor Marisa Tomei is 58. Comedian Fred Armisen is 56. Rapper Jay-Z is 53. TV personality Tyra Banks is 49. Actor Orlando Brown is 35.