Before achieving fame and recognition in the entertainment industry, actress Julianna Margulies eagerly anticipated her callback for the 1991 film Out for Justice.
She hoped that this opportunity would launch her career and make her eligible for a Screen Actors Guild card.
However, the night before the audition, Margulies found herself alone with action star Steven Seagal in his hotel room in Manhattan.
In an interview with CBC Radio’s Q hosted by Tom Power, Margulies recalled how the casting director asked her to come to Seagal’s hotel room to run the scene with him since he didn’t have time and loved her audition tape.
Despite her concerns about the late hour, the casting director assured her they would provide transportation and she would likely secure the role.
In her recently published memoir, Sunshine Girl: An Unexpected Life, the Emmy Award-winning actress, now 54, shares what transpired during that encounter.
Speaking to Power, she described Seagal as “a predator” who took advantage of young actresses searching for their big break.
Margulies emphasized that she was one of the fortunate ones who escaped unharmed.
Several women, including Jenny McCarthy and Portia de Rossi, accused Seagal of s**ual misconduct.
McCarthy revealed that he harassed her during an audition in 1995, while de Rossi claimed he unzipped his pants during an audition.
Seagal has denied these allegations and has yet to respond to Margulies’s claims.
Margulies explained that when she arrived at Seagal’s suite, the casting director was nowhere to be found.
Seagal asked her to sit down on the couch and pointed to a spot.
However, as soon as she sat down, she felt something hard beneath the cushion.
It turned out to be a large black pistol that Seagal had left there.
Realizing the danger of her situation, Margulies felt foolish and deceived.
She found herself alone in a hotel room with a six-foot-four action star who possessed a gun.
Fearful and uncertain, she followed Seagal to the bedroom, contemplating whether to escape or fight back.
Seagal placed his gun on the nightstand and asked if he could read her palm, claiming to be a “healer.”
Margulies told Power that she received numerous letters from other women who had experienced the same line from Seagal.
Recognizing the absurdity of his “shtick” as a healer and feeling less threatened by the gun, Margulies swiftly left the room, stating that she had to go.
However, she realized she had no money and that the casting director had promised her a ride home.
Knocking on the door, she asked Seagal for cab fare, ensuring her voice carried into neighboring rooms.
Seagal laughed and handed her a $100 bill.
Despite the traumatic encounter, Margulies still attended the audition the following day and secured the role.
She admitted feeling ashamed about going to his hotel room and kept the incident to herself for a long time.
She didn’t want anyone thinking she got the part because she had visited Seagal’s room.
Margulies first shared this story in November 2017 during the height of the #MeToo movement.
Inspired by other women who came forward with their experiences, she wanted to validate their stories.
She explained that many women needed someone to relate to, to feel relieved that their own experiences were heard and validated.
The full interview with Julianna Margulies can be heard at the top of this page.
Written by Vivian Rashotte, Interview produced by Ty Callender.
