“I still did indies and I still did television, but that was very hard,” she shared during a panel at 90s Con.
Mira Sorvino is looking back on her time in Hollywood as a young actress.
Appearing at 90s Con over the weekend, Sorvino opened up about the hardships she’s faced in her career — after first explaining why her career should have taken off after Academy Award win for Best Supporting Actress in 1996 for her work in the movie Mighty Aphrodite.
“When I was nominated versus won, there were clauses in my contracts that were present at the time that ‘if she wins, she gets this…’ But I definitely got more money because I made $10,000 for the film I won the Oscar for,” Sorvino told convention-goers. “I moved into a different echelon at that point.”
She continued, “For me, it was definitely an upgrade in terms of scripts being offered, but I was basically not known before. I mean, it was my 10th film, but I wasn’t a household name. I had some press on a few different projects, like Quiz Show and Barcelona, but people didn’t really know who I was. So it turned me through that Oscar season into a known actress rather than an unknown actress.”
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But things started to slow down after Sorvino says she began rejecting disgraced movie producer, Harvey Weinstein’s alleged sexual advances. Weinstein — who has denied allegations of sexual assault and retaliation — was found guilty of rape and sexual assault in 2020. He received a 23-year sentence that has since increased by 16 years.
Sorvino, who previously came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against Weinstein, said she started she started seeing a decline in offers after rejecting Weinstein for a third time.
“For a time, I had a lot of wonderful offers and then, my career was stifled by Harvey Weinstein. So, I stopped doing [major] studio movies after 1998,” the Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion actress shared.
Sorvino, who was on the panel alongside Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon — both of whom have spoken out against Weinstein — apologized as she teared up, telling the crowd, “I stopped being a viable movie actress. I still did indies and I still did television, but that was very hard.”
Sorvino said that while she “didn’t know at the time what was happening” to her career, she was allegedly no longer getting offers for roles.
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“It became, you know, a sort of feeling like fate was just not going on my side but it was going to be just a matter of time ’till I was gonna get back my status,” Sorvino shared.
While her professional life saw a lull, her personal life blossomed, with Sorvino telling the audience that she found purpose in being a mother and starting a family.
“But then, I got married. I became a mother,” she shared. “I became a UN Goodwill Ambassador in Human Trafficking, [which has] just been a huge part of my life. It’s a position I’ve held since 2009, officially. But yeah, my family. My family is my everything and I don’t see my worth as being a famous actress. I see my worth as being a good person.”
Director Peter Jackson previously claimed he was told by Miramax — Weinstein’s studio — that Sorvino and fellow Weinstein accuser Ashley Judd were “a nightmare to work with and we should avoid them at all costs” shortly after her win.
The National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline — 800.656.HOPE (4673) — provides free, 24/7 support for those in need.
