Emma Thompson Wrote a Letter About Why She Won’t Work With John Lasseter

By Dave McNary

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Emma Thompson explains in a scathing letter why she dropped out of the voice cast of Skydance Animation’s upcoming film “Luck.”

The British star, who did some recording for the movie, left the project in mid-January in the wake of John Lasseter’s hire to the top animation job at David Ellison’s studio. Her reps released a letter on Tuesday, first published in the Los Angeles Times , that Thompson sent to Skydance management last month. Skydance had no comment.

In the letter, Thompson said Lasseter’s hire made it impossible for her to continue working on “Luck” (“If a man has been touching women inappropriately for decades, why would a woman want to work for him?”).

“It feels very odd to me that you and your company would consider hiring someone with Mr. Lasseter’s pattern of misconduct given the present climate in which people with the kind of power that you have can reasonably be expected to step up to the plate,” Thompson said in the letter, sent on Jan. 23.

“If started his own company, then every employee would have been given the opportunity to choose whether or not to give him a second chance,” Thompson wrote. “But any Skydance employees who don’t want to give him a second chance have to stay and be uncomfortable or lose their jobs. Shouldn’t it be John Lasseter who has to lose HIS job if the employees don’t want to give him a second chance?”

“I am well aware that centuries of entitlement to women’s bodies whether they like it or not is not going to change overnight,” she concluded. “Or in a year. But I am also aware that if people who have spoken out — like me — do not take this sort of a stand then things are very unlikely to change at anything like the pace required to protect my daughter’s generation.”

Lasseter’s hire was first revealed by Skydance on Jan. 9. The former Disney-Pixar kingpin left his animation studio in November 2017, following misconduct accusations, and spent a year away from the business entirely. Skydance CEO Ellison sent an internal memo to staff asserting that he had conducted an independent investigation into the Lasseter accusations and was confident of his innocence. Skydance also held several town hall meetings, where female staffers complained about the appointment.

Here’s Thompson’s entire letter:

As you know, I have pulled out of the production of “Luck” — to be directed by the very wonderful Alessandro Carloni. It feels very odd to me that you and your company would consider hiring someone with Mr. Lasseter’s pattern of misconduct given the present climate in which people with the kind of power that you have can reasonably be expected to step up to the plate.

I realise that the situation — involving as it does many human beings — is complicated. However these are the questions I would like to ask:

If a man has been touching women inappropriately for decades, why would a woman want to work for him if the only reason he’s not touching them inappropriately now is that it says in his contract that he must behave “professionally”?

If a man has made women at his companies feel undervalued and disrespected for decades, why should the women at his new company think that any respect he shows them is anything other than an act that he’s required to perform by his coach, his therapist and his employment agreement? The message seems to be, “I am learning to feel respect for women so please be patient while I work on it. It’s not easy.”

Much has been said about giving John Lasseter a “second chance.” But he is presumably being paid millions of dollars to receive that second chance. How much money are the employees at Skydance being paid to GIVE him that second chance?

If John Lasseter started his own company, then every employee would have been given the opportunity to choose whether or not to give him a second chance. But any Skydance employees who don’t want to give him a second chance have to stay and be uncomfortable or lose their jobs. Shouldn’t it be John Lasseter who has to lose HIS job if the employees don’t want to give him a second chance?

Skydance has revealed that no women received settlements from Pixar or Disney as a result of being harassed by John Lasseter. But given all the abuse that’s been heaped on women who have come forward to make accusations against powerful men, do we really think that no settlements means that there was no harassment or no hostile work environment? Are we supposed to feel comforted that women who feel that their careers were derailed by working for Lasseter DIDN’T receive money?

I hope these queries make the level of my discomfort understandable. I regret having to step away because I love Alessandro so much and think he is an incredibly creative director. But I can only do what feels right during these difficult times of transition and collective consciousness raising.

I am well aware that centuries of entitlement to women’s bodies whether they like it or not is not going to change overnight. Or in a year. But I am also aware that if people who have spoken out — like me — do not take this sort of a stand then things are very unlikely to change at anything like the pace required to protect my daughter’s generation.

Yours most sincerely,