Geena Davis arrives in Melbourne to launch her exhibition at ACMI
The Hollywood star and feminist icon is in Melbourne to launch her exhibition and has opened up on her greatest film role.
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Hollywood actor Geena Davis has opened up on her love for acting, greatest film role and pride in helping to create gender parity in the industry.
The feminist icon and activist is in Melbourne for the first time to launch the Goddess: Power, Glamour, Rebellion exhibition at ACMI, Fed Square.
“Fortunately things have gotten better,’’ Davis said of women representation.
“For the longest time there wasn’t really any improvement. Back when Hollywood first started women were equally powerful and the stars of everything was very much a 50/50 situation.
“But after World War II things got very imbalanced both in front and behind the camera. At least on screen we have entered a period where we’re really at parity both as far as male and female characters.
“We have still a ways to go for people of colour and people with disability or LGBTIQ or characters over (the age of) 50 — the numbers are very bad and we really need to do a lot of work there. And behind the camera hasn’t really improved that much.”
Davis, who starred in blockbuster films Thelma & Louise and A League of Their Own, has worked tirelessly to lead The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in the Media which is a Goddess partner and will present the Being Seen on Screen conference on Wednesday.
“I love Thelma & Louise, A League of their Own, but my personal favourite because it was so much fun to shoot is The Long Kiss Goodnight,’’ she said.
“Where I get to be a badass, machine guns, all wall-to-wall action. It was really fun. Sam Jackson was my co-star so (there’s) nothing better than that.”
Davis, 67, said she filmed Accidents Happen in Sydney almost 15 years ago and met Aussie star Hugh Jackman.
“When I first came to visit Sydney I thought it’s really a lot like LA,’’ she said.
“There’s zero culture shock between LA and Sydney.
“(Jackman) was shooting one of the Wolverines in the studio next to me when I was making a movie here. He actually loaned me his nanny for a week or so. He said ‘don’t you steal her, this is just temporary’. Just a charming gentleman.”
She said of acting, “it’s what I live for”.
“Playing roles like a road warrior, a star athlete, I got to play the president of the United States on a TV show. It’s kind of like that concept of fake it til you make it,’’ she said.
“I have a lot of other interests but acting is the thing I love. It’s a way to express yourself that’s particularly suited to me.”
Other stars on the red carpet Tuesday night included Melissa Leong, Lisa Wilkinson, Shaynna Blaze and Rachel Griffiths. Goddess runs until October 1.
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