Hotel auditions should be banned, acting union says

Acting auditions should no longer take place in hotel rooms or homes, the leading US actors' union has said.

Sag-Aftra, which organises the Screen Actors Guild Awards, has called for an end to the practice "to help protect members from potential harassment".

Such auditions have "allowed predators to exploit performers behind closed doors", Sag's Gabrielle Carteris said.

The announcement comes in the wake of a slew of sexual harassment allegations against high-profile Hollywood figures.

Disgraced mogul Harvey Weinstein has been accused of harassing and abusing dozens of young actresses, models and employees.

Many of the alleged incidents are said to have taken place in hotel rooms. Weinstein has denied all allegations of "non-consensual sexual conduct".

Sag-Aftra's new Guideline No 1 forms part of a "Four Pillars of Change initiative" to tackle harassment in the workplace.

UK actors' union Equity released its own report into sexual harassment last month.

Sag-Aftra's announcement came on the day that two of Weinstein's accusers appeared at the Women in the World summit in New York.

Actress Asia Argento and model Ambra Battilana Gutierrez spoke about the backlash they have faced since coming forward with their allegations against the movie producer.

"For speaking truth to power, I have been called a whore, a liar, a traitor and an opportunist," wrote Argento on the event's website.

"The one thing I will not be though, the one thing none us will be, is silenced."

(BBC)