Geena Davis Employs Dustin Hoffman’s Wisdom to Thwart Jack Nicholson’s Advances

Geena Davis, known for her role in the movie “Tootsie” alongside Dustin Hoffman, shared an intriguing encounter with Jack Nicholson following their dinner with casting directors.

As a budding actress, Davis recounted Hoffman advising her on handling advances from fellow actors by preserving the professional dynamic.

She vividly remembered his counsel to respond with, “Well, you're very attractive.

I would love to, but it would ruin the s**ual tension between us.”

Reflecting on a pivotal moment after “Tootsie,” Davis revealed how her modeling agent introduced her to Jack Nicholson during their Hollywood visit with casting directors.

Nicholson's persistent dinners with them culminated in a note from him requesting a call.

Recollecting the nerve-wracking conversation, Davis cleverly deflected Nicholson's advances with Hoffman's advice, maintaining the prospect of future collaboration.

Furthermore, Davis bravely disclosed an unsettling incident involving Bill Murray on the set of the 1999 film “Quick Change” in her memoir, “Dying of Politeness.” She recounted Murray's inappropriate use of a massage device, shedding light on multiple allegations against him in recent projects, such as the cancellation of Aziz Ansari's film due to s**ual assault claims against Murray.

In a twist of events, Hoffman faced accusations of indecent exposure and assault, surfacing in 2017 after decades.

Despite this, Murray stood by Hoffman, labeling him as a playful flirt and a fundamentally good person amidst controversy.

Davis, a prominent figure in gender advocacy through the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, opened up about the challenges faced by women in Hollywood upon reaching the age of 40.

The stark realization of dwindling opportunities post-40 shattered her initial beliefs, leading to a profound sense of loss and unjust retirement from the industry.

Addressing the gendered bias prevalent in Hollywood, Davis theorized that male screenwriters predominantly craft roles for men, relegating female characters to secondary positions.

This systemic imbalance perpetuates ageism and limits substantial roles for women above a certain age, contrasting with the perpetual youthfulness of their male counterparts in the industry.

Despite her successes in movies like “Stuart Little,” Davis lamented the sudden decline in job offers, attributing it to the pervasive double standard rooted in age and gender discrimination.

Expressing frustration at the skewed casting practices favoring men, she advocated for conscious efforts to diversify character roles, urging the industry to consider actresses for roles traditionally reserved for men, emphasizing inclusivity and equality in casting decisions.