Allison Williams reveals she was asked if she was 'eye candy' while working as a stand-in

May 2024 · 4 minute read

Alison Williams has opened up about some of the sexist comments she's received while working on set. 

The 35-year-old actress made the revelations while participating in a Women Behind The Words panel at the Nantucket Film Festival June 24. 

The Girls star was joined by director Nicole Holofcener, 63, and actress Michaela Watkins, 51 and moderator Ophira Eisenberg, 51.

The Perfection star was dressed comfortably in a pair of boot cut jeans and a sheer beige blouse with black embroidery. She appeared to be wearing minimal makeup and styled her long light brown hair straight.

'There’s like 10 stories fighting their way from my brain to my mouth that I’m trying to keep out of my mouth,' the M3GAN star said, as reported by Indiewire.

Sexist comments: Alison Williams, 35,  opened up about some of the sexist comments she's received while working on set participating in a Women Behind The Words panel at the Nantucket Film Festival June 24

Sexist comments: Alison Williams, 35,  opened up about some of the sexist comments she's received while working on set participating in a Women Behind The Words panel at the Nantucket Film Festival June 24

'I guess one of them, just very quickly … people just underestimate your humanity often as a young woman up and coming in our business,' she explained.

'I was a stand-in for the pilot of Boardwalk Empire, which was the coolest experience ever, an amazing pilot. It was shot on film. It was incredible.'

'But I was at craft services and a member of the crew came up and said, "So what do you do here? You’re the on-set eye candy?"'

She went on to describe another craft services incident.

'An actor I later worked with who watched me eat a pastry and said, "Don’t you want to be successful?"’ 

'Look how un-shocked you both are,' she said, referring to her co-panelists. 'That familiar, fuzzy feeling. We’ve all heard it.'

The accomplished actress had high praise for creator and co-star Lena Dunham, for breaking through the noise.

'But for everything like that, there’s like Lena, who just so gently, and at basically my same age, would usher me through this very unusual experience.

Eye candy: Allison revealed she as working as a stand-in on the pilot of the HBO series Boardwalk Empire when she received a sexist comment Eye candy: 'I was at craft services and a member of the crew came up and said, "So what do you do here? You¿re the on-set eye candy?"'

Eye candy: Allison revealed she as working as a stand-in on the pilot of the HBO series Boardwalk Empire when she received a sexist comment. 'I was at craft services and a member of the crew came up and said, "So what do you do here? You’re the on-set eye candy?"'

Pastry: The Perfection actress  went on to describe another craft services incident. 'An actor I later worked with who watched me eat a pastry and said, "Don¿t you want to be successful?"¿ (Pictured in West Hollywood, CA in March 2023)

Pastry: The Perfection actress  went on to describe another craft services incident. 'An actor I later worked with who watched me eat a pastry and said, "Don’t you want to be successful?"’ (Pictured in West Hollywood, CA in March 2023)

Trust: Allison credited Girls creator and co-star Lena Dunham for breaking through the noise. 'But for everything like that, there¿s like Lena, who just so gently, and at basically my same age, would usher me through this very unusual experience'  (Pictured in New York in November 2022)

Trust: Allison credited Girls creator and co-star Lena Dunham for breaking through the noise. 'But for everything like that, there’s like Lena, who just so gently, and at basically my same age, would usher me through this very unusual experience'  (Pictured in New York in November 2022)

Private: Allison tries to keep her private life out of the public eye. She is engaged to actor Alexander Dreymon, 40. The couple are parents to son Arlo, who was born sometime in 2021 (Pictured in West Hollywood, CA in March 2023)

Private: Allison tries to keep her private life out of the public eye. She is engaged to actor Alexander Dreymon, 40. The couple are parents to son Arlo, who was born sometime in 2021 (Pictured in West Hollywood, CA in March 2023)

Allison said the Golden Globe winner 'was such an unbelievably talented writer and director, and was able to just get me to breathe and slow down and not do anything, and in doing that, just trust the material and trust that the talent is there.' 

The Screen Actors Guild Award nominee will be sharing her talents next in the TV series Fellow Travelers, starring Matt Bomer and Will Brill as two men who share a volatile romantic relationship as they navigate purges, wars, protests, and plagues, overcoming obstacles in the world.

The Paramount+/Showtimes series is scheduled to debut in the Fall. 

Allison has also signed on to reprise her role as Gemma in M3GAN 2.0.

The very private actress is engaged to actor Alexander Dreymon, 40.

The couple are parents to son Arlo, who was born sometime in 2021.

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