‘Last glass ceiling shattered by Hillary’ – What Clinton’s nomination means to women in H’wood

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LOS ANGELES, June 9, (RTRS): Hillary Clinton made history on Tuesday night by becoming the first woman to clinch the presidential nomination of a major political party. To reflect on this barrier-breaking moment, Variety surveyed top players in the entertainment and media industry about what it means to them.

Amy Pascal, head of Pascal Pictures and former co-chair of Sony Pictures Entertainment:

“I, like many other women of my generation, never realistically imagined that in our lifetime, we would see a woman standing as the leader of one of the two major political parties. Not because we didn’t think a woman could handle the job but because none of us could imagine how someone was going to find a way to break into that macho boy’s club that ran the political system in our country. Well, now that last glass ceiling has been shattered by Hillary and it is thrilling to know that little girls across the country and around the world will finally and realistically be able to believe that there is nothing that they cannot accomplish and no goal that they can’t reach. It’s a great day!”

Terry Press, president of CBS Films”:

“I think that whether or not you actually support her, there is no arguing or denigrating what she has accomplished and the significance of the achievement. And the agenda that other candidates keep pushing that she represents a step backward because the Clintons are the political establishment could not be more ironic. How could there be a bigger step forward? How long has it been since Cherry Jones played the President on ‘24’? You have to love that TV got there before reality.”

Sue Kroll, Warner Bros. president of worldwide marketing and distribution:

“Beyond this being a historic moment in our country’s history, Hillary is a great candidate and will make a great president. She’s brilliant, she’s experienced and she has faced gender-based scrutiny and criticism with poise and intelligence. She makes me proud to say, ‘I’m with her.’”

Nancy Dubuc, president and CEO of A+E Networks:

“Regardless of your political views, a historical moment is just that. Being the first female nominee for President of the United States is a meaningful milestone. We need to find ways to come together as Americans and not have it be about, sex, race or political affiliation. Hopefully, the next (President) can inspire that change and a get a new generation excited by the political process.”

Courtney Kemp Agboh, creator and executive producer of Starz’ “Power”:

“Growing up, I thought because I was black and female, there were two reasons I could never be president. Now I know they were both wrong.”

Jennie Snyder Urman, executive producer and co-creator of The CW’s “Jane”:

“I teared up several times during Hilary’s speech, but the tears really came when she spoke about how she wished her mother were here to witness her daughter becoming the Democratic nominee for president. And I realized I wasn’t only crying because of what her mother didn’t see, but also because of what my very young children WILL see. It was a stunning night, a stunning speech, and it’s about damn time.”

Lori McCreary, executive producer of CBS’ “Madam Secretary,” CEO of Revelations Entertainment and president of the Producers Guild of America:

“This history-making step is a proud moment for all Americans. It’s a gratifying feeling to be on the right side of history.”

Clinton made history on Tuesday night by becoming the first woman to clinch the presidential nomination of a major political party. She marked the milestone with a Tweet which read: “To every little girl who dreams big: Yes, you can be anything you want — even president.”

Geena Davis and CreativeChaos vmg are launching a partnership to produce an untitled feature documentary on gender disparity in Hollywood.

“I’ve been encouraged by my peers speaking out on gender disparity in recent years, but we still are not seeing the actual number change,” Davis told Variety. “There’s been no real improvement in the number of female roles since 1946 and there’s still a dearth of female directors.”

Tom Donahue, director of the HBO feature documentary “Casting By,” will helm the film.

The story will be told through the eyes of experts and researchers using data provided by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, as well as first-person accounts of high-profile actors, executives and artists in the field. Its goal is to take a systemic look at unconscious bias and provide a roadmap for solutions to act as a catalyst for change.

Davis noted that two of her films from the early 1990s — “Thelma and Louise” and “A League of Their Own” — were heralded as the harbingers of a shift toward gender equality in terms of female-oriented projects, yet turned out to have little impact on actual practices.

“The same thing happened when ‘Mamma Mia’ and ‘Sex and the City’ opened during the same summer and again when ‘The Hunger Games’ opened,” she added. “There’s a need for Hollywood to recognize that it’s operating with an unconscious bias.”

In partnership with the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, the film is being produced in association with the Artemis Rising Foundation, founded by producer Regina K. Scully. Artemis Rising has credits on “Anita Hill,” “Miss Representation,” “Invisible War,” “Hunting Ground,” and “Fed Up.”

“I’m thrilled to be partnering with Tom Donahue and Regina Scully,” Davis said. “I’ve been working directly with content creators behind-the-scenes for nearly 10 years. This documentary will allow us to share what has worked and highlight our successes and impact on the industry.”

CreativeChaos vmg was founded in 2010 by Donahue, Ilan Arboleda and Steve Edwards. The company’s projects include “Casting By,” the documentary “Thank You for Your Service”; “Santiago Calatrava,” a documentary on the world-renowned architect; and Donahue’s “A Very Good Year.”

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