Jamie Lee Curtis speaks with fellow star Melanie Griffith in the latest edition of Interview magazine, with Harvey Weinstein and the #MeToo movement part of the conversation.
The two actresses have much common ground to explore, given that both are the daughters of famous Hollywood stars who appeared in iconic Alfred Hitchcock films, with Curtis’ mom, Janet Leigh, famously murdered in the “Psycho” shower scene, while Griffith’s mom, Tippi Hedren, appearing in the director’s “Marnie” and “The Birds”.
According to Curtis, her mother — who died in 2004 — would likely not have seen the point of #MeToo, or why Weinstein should be held accountable.
“I don’t think Janet would have ever acknowledged if there was any bad behavior,” Curtis explained.
“She was, it’s a bad term, but kind of Pollyannaish about the industry. I think the #MeToo movement would have really upset her,” Curtis added.
“It’s not fair to unpack that, because she’s dead and I’m going to put words in her mouth, but knowing her, I think she would not say that he misbehaved in any way.”
As Griffith pointed out, her mother went public with her allegations of Hitchcock’s intense sexual harassment (which formed the basis of the 2012 HBO film “The Girl”). The times, however, were different, with Griffith reminding that her mom’s complaints about Hitchcock were “not accepted at that time. She was shunned and he made sure that she was shunned.”
Curtis, however, doesn’t believe Leigh would have reacted similarly.
“I don’t think Janet would ever have acknowledged anything, because from her standpoint, she was just grateful,” Curtis explained. “That was very much her take. I think she would have looked at it as, ‘That was just the way it was.'”
