Wallace Shawn boldly stars in Woody Allen’s new movie
'The Jewish, what can I say, commitment to being a good person, to social justice – that's pretty strong in Woody and in me.'
If the world deserted you, would Wallace Shawn simply join the herd?
Inconceivable.
Despite the shunning of once-beloved filmmaker Woody Allen by most of Hollywood in recent years, Shawn took on the lead role in Allen’s new serio-comic film Rifkin’s Festival.
The Princess Bride actor, 78 told JTA he was aware of the risks of appearing in the film, which is now screening in US cinemas.
Allen, 86, became a pariah after the 2014 resurfacing of allegations by members of the Farrow family that he had molested his daughter Dylan in the early 1990s.
Shawn told JTA that, regarding any such allegation, “of course you have to take it seriously” – but said he personally believes Allen is innocent.
Shawn said he’s had “painful conversations” since first writing about the issue, and that he stays away from social media. Gina Gershon and Christoph Waltz also join Shawn in the film.
Speaking personally, Shawn added: “The Jewish, what can I say, commitment to being a good person, to social justice – that’s pretty strong in Woody and in me.”