How She Said portrays Ashley Judd, Gwyneth Paltrow, and the real-life people in the Weinstein investigation
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
How do you make a movie about one of the most discussed episodes of Hollywood history? She Said spotlights Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, the real-life New York Times journalists whose 2017 investigation helped expose decades of abuse by Harvey Weinstein. The film itself is a tense journalism thriller, following Kantor (played by Zoe Kazan) and Twohey (Carey Mulligan) as they interview sources and investigate the disgraced Hollywood producer.
But the film is also a powerful tribute to the many women who went on the record, speaking to Kantor and Twohey and going public about their own experiences with Weinstein. Many of the survivors portrayed on screen were deeply involved in She Said's production, and some of them even appear on screen playing themselves.
Director Maria Schrader tells EW that inviting real-life survivors to participate in the film's production was an obvious no-brainer. She Said screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz worked closely with Twohey and Kantor, adapting their 2019 book of the same name, but she also spoke with many of the women who went on the record, including Rowena Chiu (played in the film by Angela Yeoh), Zelda Perkins (Samantha Morton), and Laura Madden (Jennifer Ehle). The film also cast several Weinstein survivors on screen, including actress Sarah Ann Masse, who doesn't play herself but instead appears in a supporting role.
Universal Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan as Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor in 'She Said'
Several notable Hollywood names appear in She Said as well. In 2017, actress Ashley Judd was one of the first celebrities to go on the record and speak to Kantor and Twohey about her own experiences with Weinstein. Here, she appears on screen in She Said, playing herself in some of the film's most powerful scenes.
"It was her stage," Schrader tells EW of filming with Judd, calling the actress' performance "wonderful." "I told her, 'I'll tell you how I want to film it, but of course it's up to you to decide how you will portray yourself.' It almost feels like when you're in the theater, and you pull down the fourth wall: You have actors playing real people, and then, all of a sudden, you have the real Ashley Judd telling her own story."
Gwyneth Paltrow was also another key figure in the New York Times investigation, and although she never appears on screen in She Said, the Oscar-winning actress voiced herself for a scene where she's heard over the phone. Rose McGowan also figures in the film via phone, although she is voiced by actress Kelly McQuail.
As for Weinstein himself, the disgraced producer is primarily heard through phone calls and recordings. Actor Mike Houston plays his brief on-screen appearances, usually showing just the back of his head.
There's also a moment early in the film, where Twohey is investigating another story about then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. Trump's voice is performed by comedian James Austin Johnson, who was cast in She Said shortly before landing his role as Trump on Saturday Night Live. "He's just incredibly good at it," Schrader says of casting Johnson. "We approached him, and I remember he came to set just after auditioning for Saturday Night Live. It was basically the very same day."
She Said premiered at the New York Film Festival in October, where the cast and crew were joined by real-life subjects like Kantor, Twohey, Judd, and Masse. For actors Mulligan and Kazan, they say they're eternally grateful to the real-life survivors for sharing their stories, adding that their involvement has been one the most rewarding parts of making the film.
"Lots of women have been talking about their own experiences," Mulligan adds. "I think that is part of what the film does. It does open that door for conversation."
Related content:
