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Minnie Driver will not forget her experience filming the 1998 film Hard Rain. In a new interview on SiriusXM’s I Weight with Jameela Jamil podcast, the actress recalled difficult working conditions that left her feeling uncomfortable.
“I remember we were in 20 million gallons of water,” Minnie, 54, shared on April 2. “They built a town. It’s set during this massive storm. There were huge rain machines. We shot crazy hours. It was tough, like it was a tough movie, but everybody else could wear a wetsuit underneath their costume. And I was told by the producers that I couldn’t because they wanted to see my nipples, and that there was no point in having the wet T-shirt if you couldn’t have what was underneath it.”
According to Minnie, “It was very kind of plainly told, like, ‘You are an idiot if you don’t understand that this is what’s going on.’ And I remember saying, ‘This is wrong.’”
The Oscar nominee remembered calling her agent to share the story. Soon after, the Good Will Hunting star realized people wouldn’t speak to her on set.
#MinnieDriver says #HardRain producers wanted to see her nipples
— DEDMOJO (@DEDMOJO) April 3, 2024
“I was so punished for it,” Minnie alleged. “It was leaked to the press that I’d called and complained about conditions. But it was if there were nothing to complain about and that I were just complaining.”
Because the movie took seven months to shoot, Minnie said she eventually questioned if she made the right decision by speaking up.
“Eventually, you do turn on yourself,” she shared. “You do go, ‘It was my fault for saying anything, you stupid big mouth. You should have shut up.’ And that goes in and then alters the way in which you kind of see yourself and your natural inclination to put your hand up and go, this isn’t right.”
While Minnie didn’t name any producers by name, Hard Rain costume designer Kathleen Detoro told Variety that full wetsuits and pieces were supplied to all cast and crew including “tops, bottoms and booties” and “no expense was spared to keep actors and crew as dry as possible in an action water film.”
“Actors don’t like wearing wetsuits under their clothes,” Kathleen told the publication. “Very uncomfortable. …Actors received full wet suit: shortie wet suit, tops, bottoms and booties. It is up to actor to decide what parts they wear or don’t wear.”
New episodes of SiriusXM’s I Weigh with Jameela Jamil are available every Tuesday on the SiriusXM app and wherever podcasts are available.