Olivia Wilde has urged Hollywood executives to focus on the quality of a candidate’s ideas rather than the length of their resume.
The actress/director, who made her behind the camera debut with 2019’s Booksmart, spoke at the 2020 MAKERS Conference on Tuesday (February 11, 2020) in Los Angeles, where she explained her idea to get more women working behind the scenes in the film industry.
“In order to change those numbers, we have to change how people are hired,” the 35-year-old said.
“When anyone in a position of power who is basing their decisions on resumes what they will end up doing is perpetuating the system because when women haven’t been given as many opportunities to take on leadership roles as men, their resumes are not as long.”
She continued: “I’m now in a position of hiring say production designers, I can look at a resume of a man who has done tons of movies and won awards and he seems like a more valuable option than the woman, who might be brilliant and have a great take on the concept, but her resume looks so thin next to the guy.”
The People Like Us star added that if “we continue to do that, we will perpetuate the system.”
The issue of representation among female directors has been a hot topic in Hollywood in recent weeks, after the Oscars once again announced an all-male shortlist in its directing category, despite figures showing an increase in box office movies helmed by women.
Natalie Portman notably wore a cape embroidered with the names of all the female directors who missed out a nomination to the Academy Awards on Sunday.
