- Sean Young said that her career was sabotaged by Hollywood directors who labeled her "difficult."
- Young named Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, and Warren Beaty as directors who sabotaged her career.
- But the actress praised Jim Carrey for helping her land a role in 1994's "Ace Ventura."
"Blade Runner" actress Sean Young told the Daily Beast that she believes her career was derailed by a handful of Hollywood's most powerful male directors including Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, and Warren Beatty, who labeled her as "difficult" and blacklisted her from major roles.
Young, now 61, played the role of Rachael, Harrison Ford's love interest in "Blade Runner." Some of Young's other credits include 1994's "Ace Ventura" and 1984's "Dune." But in the past, Young has spoken openly about the difficulties working in Hollywood. In 2015, she told The Guardian that Warren Beatty sacked her from 1990's "Dick Tracy" after she declined his advances, which Beatty has denied.
In the Daily Beast interview, Young talks about a 2009 interview she gave to Carl Reiner in which Reiner implied that Young's reputation had been unfairly smeared by a famous director who he does not name. When asked whether the director Reiner was referring to was Beatty, Young said: "Warren was definitely one of them. Steven Spielberg was another."
Later in the interview, Young was asked whether Beatty was the "worst of the bunch," to which she replied no and highlighted the wider issues within Hollywood.
She said: "It's not just Warren—it's across the board. Ever since the movie business began, women have been treated as a commodity. There was always someone grabbing you, and I just ignored it. I mean, have you taken a look at Harvey Weinstein? How the f--- is he gonna get laid unless he has power? Never."
Further into the interview, Young is asked about her time working with Ridley Scott on "Blade Runner" and the origins of the film's aggressive love scene featuring her character and Harrison Ford. She said: "Well, honestly, Ridley wanted me to date him. He tried very hard in the beginning of the show to date him, and I never would. I was like, nah. And then he started dating the actress who played Zhora, Joanna Cassidy, and I felt relieved."
She continued: "And then we do this scene, and I think it was Ridley. I think Ridley was like, 'F--- you.' I was thinking, 'Why did this have to be like that? What was the point of that?' and I think it was Ridley's none-too-subtle message that he was getting even with me."
Young went on to say that she inadvertently offended Steven Spielberg after approaching him about not landing the role of Marion Ravenwood in "Raiders of the Lost Ark," which she had auditioned for.
"I saw him at a New Year's Eve party that Jerry Belson had up by the Mulholland area, and Steven was there. I said to him, 'You misled me! I thought I was going to get the part.' And this really offended him," she said.
"He was all, 'I did not mislead you! I did not!' I was like, 'Whoa, calm down. I didn't mean it like you were a bad guy or anything, I just really thought I was going to get the part. You flew me back to California twice.' Very sensitive. And you have to remember, he did that to Bill Hurt. Steven wanted Bill in 'Jurassic Park,' and Bill didn't want to do it, and that was not what he wanted to hear. Steven has enough power to cancel you. He canceled Megan Fox."
Insider has contacted Spielberg, Beatty, and Scott for comment regarding Young's comments but did not hear back immediately.
Young did, however, praise her "Ace Ventura" co-star Jim Carrey, who she said fought for her to land a role in the film despite protests from the studio.
She said: "He's the only leading man who ever did that for me. Jim came in and said, 'No, no, no. Whatever you're hearing is bulls---. She's great.'"