Iconic '90s actress Stranger Things star, Winona Ryder, recently opened up in an interview with The Sunday Times about what it has been like to be Jewish in Hollywood, and how it has cost her certain roles.
She revealed that a film executive once told her that she looked "too Jewish" to be in his movie.
And in a recent interview with The Sunday Times, the actress opened up about her experience with anti-Semitism in Hollywood.
"It’s a hard thing for me to talk about because I had family who died in the camps," she said.
But confirms that she still "identifies" as Jewish, nonetheless.
She then recalled a rather disturbing and shocking encounter she had with a film industry peer, Mel Gibson — a household name for many!
But this isn't too surprising.
She explained that she had arrived at a party in 2006 with one of her friends and Mel also happened to be in attendance.
"And Mel Gibson was smoking a cigar, and we’re all talking," she went on. "And he said to my friend, who’s gay, ‘Oh wait, am I going to get AIDS?’"
"And then something came up about Jews, and he said, ‘You’re not an oven dodger, are you?'"
Yikes...
He was arrested that summer for driving under the influence, and he was caught on camera saying, “The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world!”
So not okay.
“It was an unfortunate incident,” Mel said in an interview with Playback. “I was loaded and angry and arrested."
"And then it was made public by him for profit, and by members of — we’ll call it the press. So, not fair. I guess as who I am, I’m not allowed to have a nervous breakdown, ever.”
"But others bring it up, which kind of I find annoying, because I don’t understand why after 10 years it’s any kind of issue."
"Surely if I was really what they say I was, some kind of hater, there’d be evidence of actions somewhere. There never has been," he said.
“And for one episode in the back of a police car on eight double tequilas to sort of dictate all the work, life’s work and beliefs and everything else that I have and maintain for my life is really unfair.”
“There are times when people have said, ‘Wait, you’re Jewish? But you’re so pretty!,'" she said.
Let us know what you think of Winona Ryder's latest interview with The Sunday Times in the comments below!
