Actor Julia Stiles recently opened up about her experience working with Harvey Weinstein on the 2000 rom-com Down to You, describing it as “so slimy.”
On the Films To Be Buried with Brett Goldstein podcast, Stiles described her experience on reshoots for the film when Weinstein got involved. “It was a time when teen rom-coms were really popular,” she said. “The director wrote the script. He was a first-time director and he was a very, very intelligent, capable guy. The script was very good. And then Harvey Weinstein got his hands on it and decided to capitalize on this trend. And it just became dumb.”
Down to You was a romantic comedy directed by Kris Isacsson and, in addition to Stiles, starred Freddie Prinze Jr. as her love interest. The film also featured Selma Blair, Rosario Dawson, and Ashton Kutcher.
Stiles went on to explain that Weinstein decided that because of Stiles’ success in Save the Last Dance and 10 Things I Hate About You, the film needed to feature Stiles dancing, which didn’t make sense for the storyline or her character, Imogen.
Stiles continued, “I love to dance, but it was dumb. It was like, ‘OK, let’s get her on a pool table.’ It wasn’t even imaginative. And I felt so slimy doing it the whole time. I don’t know if that actually made it in the film, but it was annoying, ’cause I was like, this is so cheap and it’s not adding to the story.”
In response to Stiles’ comments, Weinstein issued a statement from prison defending his conduct onset, which reads: “Julia Stiles is a talented and charismatic actress who naturally connects with audiences. Beyond her acting skills, she’s also a fantastic dancer, which was something fans really wanted at the time. I included that scene in Down to You to enhance the film’s appeal, and her chemistry with Freddie Prinze Jr. made it work seamlessly.”
He continued, “As a filmmaker, I’ve always sought ways to elevate a project, and when I see an opportunity to make a film better, I take it. That same instinct led David O. Russell and me to cast Julia in Silver Linings Playbook, where she once again delivered a standout performance.”
Weinstein is currently in the middle of a retrial for previous rape convictions that were overturned, and is being held on Rikers Island. He has complained about poor medical care in the prison, which has resulted in the loss of several of his teeth.
