Tommy Lee Jones Addresses Sexism In Hollywood

Tommy Lee Jones recently addressed sexism in Hollywood, pointing out that every woman has been objectified in their career simply because of their gender.

Jones sat down with The Guardian to discuss his latest film, The Homesman, which focuses on the frontier woman in the 19th century. The film is getting solid reviews on the festival circuit, and as Jones says, “it’s about women, not men.”

The official synopsis of The Homesman describes the film as “A claim jumper (Tommy Lee Jones) and a pioneer woman (Hilary Swank) team up to escort three insane women (Miranda Otto, Grace Gummer and Sonja Richter) from Nebraska to Iowa.” Jones, who also directs the film, discussed the role of feminism in the film, and went on to tackle the subject of sexism in Hollywood.

“I don’t think there’s a woman in the readership of the Guardian,” he said. “Not one, who hasn’t been objectified or trivialised because of her gender at one time or another. And that’s really what our movie is about.” When asked if The Homesman is a feminist film, Jones responds by saying “It would not be unfair to call it that but I’m not looking for labels.”

Tommy Lee Jones won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 1993, playing the pursuer of Harrison Ford in The Fugitive. HE has been nominated once since then, and starred in the 2007 Best Picture winner No Country For Old Men.

Jones has always kept his political and personal beliefs a little under wraps throughout the years. The Texas native remains brash when his personal life comes into focus with interviewers, which leads to his views on sexism in Hollywood, and how it is a surprise to hear him voice his opinions on such a social issue.

The Homesman has been making the festival rounds in 2014, and is currently in limited release in the United States.