Matthew Lawrence revealed that he lost an important role in a Marvel movie after refusing to accept sexual advances from a powerful Hollywood director linked to the superhero film studio.
As a guest on the episode Brotherly Love Podcast co-hosted by his brothers Joey and Andrew Lawrence, the former child star known for his role as the son of Robin Williams in Potato forever spoke about the stigma associated with sexual abuse and harassment in the entertainment industry.
Matthew, 43, recalled the painful episode in his career when his refusal to strip in front of a director involved with a Marvel project cost him a lead role. However, he did not reveal when the incident occurred or who the successful filmmaker in question was.
I lost my agency because I went to the hotel room, where I can’t believe they sent me, of a very prominent Oscar-winning director who showed up in a robe, asked me to take off my clothes, and said he needed to take snapshots of me. . And if he did X, Y, and Z, he would be the next Marvel character. I didn’t and my agency fired me because I left the director’s room.
Reflecting on sexual abuse and harassment in Hollywood, the American actor argued that men have not received the same support as women when it comes to revealing these acts of the industry towards them.
While noting that the international #MeToo movement of 2016 was a positive thing, she is saddened that there hasn’t been a similar campaign in the public eye encouraging, for example, men who work in the entertainment industry to share their own experiences of harassment.
In my opinion, not many men have reported abuse. It’s probably only a third of what women have experienced, but it happens to children too. I think our society is less prepared to hear about the bullying that children experience.
Matthew Lawrence began working as a child at the age of four. His best-known roles include Christopher Hillard in the 1993 hit Potato forever, Jack Hunter on the ABC sitcom Learning to live and the character of Matt Roman in the series Fraternal lovebroadcast from 1995 to 1997 and in which he starred with his brothers Joey and Andrew Lawrence.