Minnie Driver has described how producers would not allow her to wear a wetsuit in the 1998 film Hard Rain because ‘they wanted to see her nipples’.
The actress, 54, starred in the disaster film as Karen, opposite Christian Slater, Morgan Freeman and Randy Quaid, centring around a bank heist taking place during a heavy rainstorm.
Minnie opened up on the filming conditions on Jameela Jamil‘s I Weigh podcast, explaining that her fellow actors wore wetsuits under their costumes during the water scenes.
However, the Oscar nominee revealed she was not allowed to wear one under her T-shirt by the producers, because the ‘point’ was to see ‘what was underneath it’.
She recalled: ‘There were huge rain machines. We shot crazy hours. It was tough, like, it was a tough movie, but everybody else could wear a wetsuit underneath their costume.
Minnie Driver has described how producers would not allow her to wear a wetsuit in the 1998 film Hard Rain because ‘they wanted to see her nipples’ (pictured in February)
The actress, 54, starred in the disaster film as Karen (pictured), opposite Christian Slater, Morgan Freeman and Randy Quaid, centring around a heist taking place during a rainstorm
Minnie opened up on the filming conditions on Jameela Jamil ‘s I Weigh podcast, explaining that her fellow actors wore wetsuits under their costumes during the water scenes (pictured in film with Christian)
‘And I was told by the producers that I couldn’t because they wanted to see my nipples, and that there was no point in having the wet T-shirt if you couldn’t have what was underneath it.’
The Good Will Hunting star explained that she pushed back, but was made to feel like an ‘idiot’ and like she didn’t ‘understand that this is what’s going on.’
She added that after she stood up for herself and called her agent for help, she was ‘punished for it’, with people on set not speaking to her and stories being leaked to the press that she was difficult, causing her to blame herself.
She said: ‘I remember saying this is wrong. I remember calling my agent. I then remember it being like, boy, people wouldn’t speak to me on the set. I was so punished for it.
‘It was leaked to the press that I called and complained about conditions, but it was as if there was nothing to complain about and I was just complaining.
‘So it’s this sort of – this gaslighting, media gaslighting that’s supported by the environment that you are in. And then you have to stay in that environment.
‘You know, we shot that movie for seven months. So, eventually, you do turn on yourself. You do go, “It was my fault for saying anything, you stupid big mouth. You should have shut up.”
‘And that goes in and then alters the way in which you kind of see yourself and your natural inclination to put your hand up and go “This isn’t right”.’
The Oscar nominee revealed she was not allowed to wear one under her T-shirt by the producers, because the ‘point’ was to see ‘what was underneath it’ (pictured in film with Randy)
Minnie explained that she pushed back, but was made to feel like an ‘idiot’ and like she didn’t ‘understand that this is what’s going on’ (pictured last year)
She added that after she stood up for herself and called her agent for help, she was ‘punished for it’, with people on set not speaking to her and stories being leaked to the press that she was difficult, causing her to blame herself (pictured in 1998)
Minnie previously spoke about the aftermath of her attempts to argue for better conditions on Hard Rain, telling The Times in 2022: ‘That followed me for a really long time, that whole idea of me being difficult. If you stood up and said, “This is unacceptable,” which I routinely did, you were vilified.’
But she declared that would not stop her efforts to stand up for herself and others, saying: ‘I will always be a champion on set. I’d be like a lioness about anything that was happening, to a male or female.
‘If you see that somebody is mistreating somebody else, you have to say something. You will almost certainly be punished for it on some level, but I don’t think that is a reason not to speak up.’
She did not name any of the producers of Hard Rain, with the film’s credited producers being Ian Bryce, Mark Gordon and Gary Levinsohn.
Minnie previously opened up about her experiences dealing with misogyny in her early career.
She revealed that she was once ‘leered’ at by casting directors while being told to fake an orgasm for an audition.
Speaking to Elizabeth Day on her How To Fail podcast, she explained: ‘I remember walking into the room and it was full of men…
‘And the director said, “you know, you’ve seen the scene in When Harry Met Sally, what we want you to do is like take a bit of the chocolate and eat the chocolate and have an orgasm. Right off you go.” And all these revolting ad executives sort of lean slightly forward in their chairs.
Minnie previously opened up about her experiences dealing with misogyny in her early career, revealing she was once ‘leered’ at by casting directors while being told to fake an orgasm for an audition (pictured in 1998)
Minnie has also revealed that her star-making turn in Good Will Hunting almost didn’t come to pass after now-disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein objected to her presence in the film (pictured in the film)
‘And I knew it was wrong. I knew it was just wrong. But I really wanted the job. Also, I thought I was supposed to do this. This is what you had to do to get a job, which I mean it was.
‘So I went and I sat there and I ate the chocolate which was disgusting and I tried to have an orgasm. I tried to fake an orgasm. But I was sort of looking out into a sea of dead eyed dudes on their lunch break in Soho in July and it was all just so revolting.
‘I couldn’t even fake an orgasm for a job. And I basically got shouted out by the director for not being grateful and then just sort of leered and jeered at by this whole crowd.
‘And it was the strangest feeling because I was devastated that I knew I wasn’t going to get this job.
‘Plus, I sort of gave the director a piece of my mind because I finally came to and was like “This is insane, that you’re all doing this. Also, this chocolate’s disgusting. And also, I don’t want this f***ing job” even though I was broke. So it was quite a weird turn around.’
Minnie has also revealed that her star-making turn in Good Will Hunting almost didn’t come to pass after now-disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein objected to her presence in the film.
The actress revealed that the convicted sex offender, who is currently serving a 23-year prison sentence, said that ‘nobody would want to f*** her’ ahead of production.
Despite Weinstein’s offensive comments, the producers fought for her to remain on the picture, as did Matt Damon, who starred in and co-wrote the film with Ben Affleck.
The actress revealed that the convicted sex offender, who is currently serving a 23-year prison sentence, said that ‘nobody would want to f*** her’ ahead of production (Weinstein in 2020)
Despite Weinstein’s offensive comments, the producers fought for her to remain on the picture, as did Matt Damon, who starred in and co-wrote the film with Ben Affleck, and Minnie went on to get an Oscar nod (pictured with Matt at film’s premiere)
Minnie went on to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Skylar Satenstein in the film.
Speaking about her experience with Weinstein, she recalled: ‘He didn’t want me to be in the film. Again, he was very vocal about the fact that he didn’t think that I was in his words “f**kable”…
‘But I never liked him because he was a revolting marginaliser of women. He fit them into such a narrow bin. It was just revolting. That was revolting. I saw enough girls on his laps to be grateful that that wasn’t me.
‘But I definitely, not suffered, but had an experience that, you know, at his hands that made me feel like I felt a million times before, you know, that I was a piece of s**t and not worth it and of course, I wasn’t going to get the part.
‘But then on the other side, I am going to get this no matter that this big fat producer doesn’t want me to do it. I’m going to do it anyway. And I did.’
In 2022, Minnie admitted it was ‘satisfying’ to see many colleagues receiving justice during the Me Too movement.
She said: ‘God, it was so satisfying. It was so amazing. It was just so amazing to finally feel all these women like a lot of whose stories I already knew, because you talk in the business, everybody knew everybody knew who not to be left alone in a room with.
‘Everybody knew to hear those publicly, to see them not being shouted down, to see these women going “Oh, my goodness, we can stand together. And if we stand together, then our voices are stronger.” It was so satisfying.
She continued: ‘It was kind of amazing. I didn’t feel like it was a witch hunt. I thought it was hilarious the amount of men who like “you know, we’re being falsely accused”. And it’s like, yeah, tell that to all the other witches.’
In 2022, Minnie admitted it was ‘satisfying’ to see many colleagues receiving justice during the Me Too movement (pictured last month)
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