I was sexually harassed: 'Will & Grace' star Debra Messing says producers tricked her into doing a nude scene
Before the anti-sexual harassment movement picked up steam, there was a time in Hollywood wherein certain incidents and situations would be swept under the rug. In fact, many actresses, who have come to understand the extent of abuse in the light of the Me Too campaign, have since opened up about their personal ordeals.
The latest revelation comes from none other than actress Debra Messing. The Will & Grace star who made her debut on the big screen in 1995 revealed that she was duped into signing a nudity waiver for the film 'A Walk in the Clouds' in which she was starring opposite Keanu Reeves.
Messing recalled how she was subjected to further humiliation from the film's director Alfonso Arau when she brought the matter to his attention.
“It wasn’t until we started having these conversations that I realized I had been sexually harassed,” the 49-year-old actress said, opening up about the sad state of affairs at a recent roundtable hosted by The Hollywood Reporter.
“I had said, ‘Oh, that’s the business. And then, all of a sudden, I was like, ‘Wait a minute, no, that’s not the business. I was sexually harassed.’”
Messing, whose acting prowess came to attention with the 1995 film — she even starred in Fox' 'Ned & Stacey' following the exposure — went on to reveal how she was initially under the impression that the movie was going to be rated PG-13.
“I was tricked into signing a nudity waiver by the producers [who] basically said, ‘Oh, the director just has a big ego, it’s PG-13, we cannot show anything, so, if you sign it, nothing’s gonna happen,’” recalled the actress.
As one would expect, things took a turn for the worse once filming began. On sets, the actress was handed lingerie and told about the nude scenes, with producers trying to pass it off as scenes for the international audience. Under these circumstances, Messing decided to discuss the matter with director Arau but was only humiliated further.
“I’m like, ‘You know, I like to be prepared. Can you tell me where the angles are?’ And [Arau] literally said, ‘How dare you ask me to tell you what my shot is going to be? You are an actress, it’s your job to get naked,’” the actress was quoted as saying.
Arau has, however, declined to respond to Messing's claim, reported People magazine.