Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein’s studio insisted that rape accuser Jessica Mann be given an audition in a vampire flick despite being entirely wrong for the part, a casting director testified Wednesday.
The Weinstein Company, which handled distribution for 2014’s “Vampire Academy,” requested that veteran casting director Marci Liroff consider Mann and Brazilian actress Talita Maia for roles in the movie in 2013 — the same year in which Mann alleges Weinstein twice raped her.
“The actresses they asked me to meet were too old for the role and too tall,” said Liroff, referring to Mann and Maia, in Manhattan criminal court, where Weinstein is on trial for rape and sexual assault.
“And they were not strong enough as actors in this role.”
Mann was 27 at the time she auditioned for the film, a fantasy-comedy about teenage vampires.
“We were looking for 15-year-olds,” said Liroff, who replied in the affirmative when asked whether auditioning the women was a “waste of time.”
Liroff also testified that it was out of the ordinary for a distribution company to take that active an interest in the casting process.
“It is unusual for the distributor to be involved in that,” she said.
In emotional testimony that unfolded over multiple days, Mann accused Weinstein, 67, of forcing himself on her on two separate occasions in 2013.
Mann additionally testified in lurid detail that Weinstein has “deformed” genitalia that “appears like he has a vagina,” performed a “golden shower” on her, and mourned his mother’s passing by masturbating in front of her.
Weinstein has denied any wrongdoing.
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