Los Angeles, California – Three female actors in the film industry have filed complaints with the Screen Actors Guild against renowned filmmaker Vincent Gallo for making sexually explicit comments during auditions for his new film, “The Policeman.” Gallo, notorious for his controversial work, including a scene in which he received unsimulated oral sex in “The Brown Bunny,” is playing the role of Joseph James DeAngelo, also known as the Golden State Killer, in “The Policeman.” According to one of the reports, Gallo utilized the character to fulfill his “torture porn fantasies.”
Gallo, who is not the director of the film, withheld job offers from actors unless they complied with his demands. “The Policeman” was written and directed by Jordan Gertner and features James Franco as one of the co-stars. Franco himself has faced allegations of sexual harassment from former actors and acting students.
In the complaints filed with the Screen Actors Guild, one actor outlined Gallo’s explicit instructions during auditions. According to the complaint, Gallo told her, “If I say to suck my dick or I will kill you, I want you, the person, not you the character, not you the actor, but you, to truly believe you will die if you don’t do as I say. And just like you would in real life, if this were happening to you, I want you to do all of the actions necessary to do that. You won’t actually suck my dick, but you do not have the power, I have all the power. You have no control, I am in complete control.”
Other actors echoed similar complaints. One report sent to the Screen Actors Guild mentioned Gallo’s demand for actors to have their “minds and bodies be 100 percent dominated by him” while on set. The report stated that Gallo wanted the actor to “be at the whim of whatever his character decides to do to me at any moment.” Disturbed by Gallo’s behavior and requirements, one actor decided not to attend a callback.
The requests made by Gallo, which included physical attacks, restraints, and simulated rape and assault, were never discussed or supervised by an intimacy coordinator. The women allege that the film’s director failed to intervene and control Gallo’s actions, leaving them with the impression that “Vincent’s running the show.”
The set’s intimacy coordinator, however, reported that sexually explicit scenes were handled professionally and within each actor’s consent boundaries.
Cast Iron Studios, the casting team behind the film, released a statement to Rolling Stone, expressing their support for the actors who came forward and extended their deepest apologies for the distressing experience. They noted that they had fought hard to advocate for the performers and highlighted the positive reports from the set.
In summary, three female actors have reported filmmaker Vincent Gallo to the Screen Actors Guild for making sexually explicit comments during auditions for his film “The Policeman.” Gallo’s behavior, which allegedly involved fulfilling his “torture porn fantasies” through the character he portrays, has raised serious concerns within the industry. The casting team behind the film has expressed their support for the actors and issued an apology for the distressing experience.