Producer Scott Rudin will also “retire” from his film and streaming projects in addition to his Broadway productions in the wake of allegations of his abusive behavior in the workplace. Rudin, whose upcoming movies are Netflix’s “The Woman in the Window” and A24’s “The Humans,” said he will “take the time to work on personal issues that I should have had a long time ago.”
The announcement comes because top talent and studios had become reluctant to partner with Rudin following a report in The Hollywood Reporter giving detailed accounts of the bullying of subordinates. The new comments follow a Saturday post in which Rudin said he was “stepping back” from Broadway, his main axis of power for the past decade. He has produced hits such as ‘The Book of Mormon’ and ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’.
“When I commented this weekend, I was focused on the successful Broadway reopening and didn’t want my past behavior to detract from everyone’s attempts to return,” Rudin said. “It is clear to me that I have to go the same way with film and streaming. I am very sorry for the pain my behavior has caused and I take this step with a commitment to grow and change. “
It is not entirely clear what “taking a step back” means, whether Rudin will benefit from the projects and whether he will continue to be credited as a producer.
“Much has been written about my history of troubling interactions with colleagues, and I deeply regret the pain my behavior caused individuals both directly and indirectly,” Rudin said.
In The Hollywood Reporter’s story, Rudin was depicted throwing things at employees, including a stapler and baked potato, berating staffers and threatening them with career retaliation if they left his job, and smashing a computer monitor to the hand of an assistant , take him to the emergency room.
Rudin’s fall is a sign that the work culture movement, which initially focused on sexual harassment, has turned to other forms of abuse. It can affect other short-tempered executives and power players who have a reputation for humiliating their workforce.
Initially, actors, Broadway players, and filmmakers were largely silent on the allegations. That changed over the weekend. During a live conversation on Instagram, Sutton Foster, who would star in a Rudin-produced revival of “The Music Man,” spoke on behalf of herself and her co-star, Hugh Jackman. Foster said both actors hoped to create “an incredible, safe, inclusive, loving, wonderful environment for everyone involved.”
Also on Sunday, the twin brother of former Rudin assistant Kevin Graham-Caso addressed the producer in an emotional post on social media, demanding “ real repercussions ” from the entertainment industry for Rudin’s alleged behavior. Friends of the deceased assistant spoke with Variety on Monday, with e-mails from the time echoing Graham-Caso’s brother’s claim that the time he worked under the producer had been emotionally damaging.
Rudin is one of the most successful producers in entertainment history and has won an Oscar, an Emmy, a Grammy and 17 Tony Awards. His films include ‘No Country for Old Men’, ‘Lady Bird’, ‘The Firm’ and ‘The Truman Show’. Still active in the prestige space, he recently acquired the rights to the bestselling book “Shuggie Bain,” but no longer had the great studio backing he once enjoyed. Tastes had shifted from the family tree dramas and comedies Rudin preferred to make in favor of superheroes, although he continued to work regularly.