Paul Sorvino Did Not Mince Words When It Came To His Feelings About Harvey Weinstein
In October 2017, an article in The New York Times reported on the allegations of sexual misconduct against film producer Harvey Weinstein. Since the article was published, many have spoken out about their own experiences with Weinstein, including Salma Hayek, Ashley Judd, Rose McGowan, and dozens more. The accusers weren't limited to actresses; there were also a handful of Miramax and The Weinstein Company employees who have come forward with stories about Weinstein. One of the actresses who detailed her experience was Mira Sorvino.
Mira Sorvino, the daughter of character actor Paul Sorvino, is an award-winning actress who began her acting career in the early '90s. In an interview by Ronan Farrow for The New Yorker, Mira shared her experience with Weinstein in 1995 while promoting her movie "Mighty Aphrodite." Weinstein was one of the producers of the film, and Mira was in a hotel room with him when he started massaging her shoulders. The producer then started getting more physical with her, which made her increasingly uncomfortable. She evaded his advances and quickly left the hotel room. In another incident, as noted by CBS News, Weinstein showed up at Mira's door after midnight uninvited, and he only left when the actress said that her boyfriend was on his way.
Paul Sorvino's words for Harvey Weinstein
After the two incidents, Mira Sorvino had a suspicion that Harvey Weinstein meddled with her career. Her suspicion was only confirmed when director Peter Jackson revealed that Weinstein asked him to blacklist certain actresses. In an interview with Stuff, the "Lord of the Rings" director said that he initially had an interest in casting Sorvino and Ashley Judd in the late '90s for the "Lord of the Rings" movies. However, Miramax told him that the actresses were difficult to work with and that he should avoid casting them. "I now suspect we were fed false information about both of these talented women — and as a direct result their names were removed from our casting list," Jackson stated.
Mira's father, Paul Sorvino, had something to say about Harvey Weinstein upon hearing the news. TMZ caught up with the actor in 2018 and asked him what he thought of the Hollywood producer derailing his daughter's career. He said he hoped he goes to jail, but if not, he said he would "kill the mother******. Real simple." Paul also stated that he had no prior knowledge of Weinstein's sexual misconduct. "If I had known it, he would not be walking. He'd be in a wheelchair," he said. Paul continued to say that Mira didn't deserve what Weinstein did to her. "This pig will get his comeuppance. The law will get him. He's going to jail and die in jail," he declared.
Mira and Paul Sorvino's relationship
Mira Sorvino has always been vocal about her love for her father. When Paul Sorvino addressed the Harvey Weinstein scandal with TMZ, the actress took to Twitter to express her appreciation for him once again. In her tweet, she said Paul was a loving father, the wisest in giving advice, and the best grandfather to her children. Attached to the tweet was a clip of her receiving an Oscar, wherein she thanked Paul for teaching her everything she knew about acting. Paul was shown getting emotional when his daughter said, "I love you very much, dad."
In July 2022, Paul Sorvino died of natural causes at the age of 83, as reported by CNN. Many fans and fellow actors offered their condolences to the family and wrote tributes to the actor on social media sites that described him as a kind, talented, giving, and passionate man. Mira also announced her father's passing on Twitter and wrote, "My heart is rent asunder — a life of love and joy and wisdom with him is over. He was the most wonderful father. I love him so much."