Emma Thompson writes impactful letter about why she left John Lasseter’s Luck

Emma Thompson’s letter regarding her dropping out of the movie Luck following John Lasseter’s hiring as head of Skydance Animation is a bold move, and a major influence for women in entertainment in the future.

There is something to be said for actors and actresses standing their ground and being willing to do more than just talk about things. When someone like Emma Thompson is willing to give up a job because of her principles and a sense of right and wrong, you know it is time to start paying attention and really listening.

After Thompson dropped out of the movie Luck because of John Lasseter taking the helm at Skydance Animation, there was plenty of talk about why she did it and even why it was important. But now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, we have seen a letter that the actress wrote to the studio and the movie’s producers, and it is clear that the Time’s Up movement is just as strong as ever.

In her letter, Emma Thompson said:

"It feels very odd to me that you and your company would consider hiring someone with Mr. Lasseter’s pattern of misconduct given the present climate in which people with the kind of power that you have can reasonably be expected to step up to the plate."

And while that would be enough to have us sitting up and clapping for the actress, she did not stop there. She went on to say that while her reasons for stepping away from the film may seem complicated, those reasons are valid and important.

Thompson questioned why any woman would want to work for a man who has made other women feel uncomfortable in the workplace. As she put it, why would someone want to work with an individual whose only reason for behaving now is because he has no choice? Why should anyone think that people would want to work with someone who has been disrespectful to women and is now only showing respect because it is being forced on him?

And while she understands that people deserve a second chance, as many of Lasseter’s supporters have asserted, Emma Thompson had something to say about that as well. The actress pointed out that he is getting millions of dollars for his second chance, but what about the people who will have to work with him. She even asked:

"How much money are the employees at Skydance being paid to give him that second chance?"

Even as Thompson had so much more to say about the entire situation, it is clear that the actress made plenty of valid points. It is reasonable for the rest of us to want real answers. And she is right when she asks about all of the people who will have to work under this man who has been accused of things that had him stepping down from his last job.

We have to give Emma Thompson a lot of credit for not only walking away from the movie, but for also writing a letter that explained how she felt about the situation. Perhaps if more people stepped up in such a way, there would be more accountability when it came to bad behavior.

The only way to make change is to actually change and clearly, Thompson knows this. There is so much to love about the letter that the actress wrote and honestly it is hard not to support someone who is able to express their reasons in such an impactful way.