Mira Sorvino laments how Harvey Weinstein 'stifled' her career after she 'rejected him'

Mira Sorvino was overcome with emotions while recalling how Harvey Weinstein had a negative impact on her career after she rejected his unwanted advances.

During a panel discussion at 90s Con over the weekend, Sorvino remembered soaring in popularity after winning an Oscar for her role in the 1996 film "Mighty Aphrodite."

"For a time, I had a lot of wonderful offers and then, my career was stifled by Harvey Weinstein," Sorvino said. "So, I stopped doing [major] studio movies after 1998."

Sorvino was a catalyst in the #MeToo movement and claimed Weinstein first propositioned her at the Toronto International Film Festival in 1995.

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Mira Sorvino accused Harvey Weinstein of setting her career back after she rejected his advances. (Getty Images)

"When I was nominated versus won, there were clauses in my contracts that were present at the time that 'if she wins, she gets this.' But I definitely got more money because I made $10,000 for the film I won the Oscar for. I moved into a different echelon at that point," she said.

"For me, it was definitely an upgrade in terms of scripts being offered, but I was basically not known before. I mean, it was my 10th film, but I wasn't a household name. I had some press on a few different projects, like ‘Quiz Show’ and ‘Barcelona,’ but people didn't really know who I was. So it turned me through that Oscar season into a known actress rather than an unknown actress."

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She remembered receiving incredible offers following her win at the Academy Awards, but suddenly everything began slowing down.

Sorvino was overcome with emotion and apologized to the crowd before noting that in 1998 she "rejected him the third time."

Mira Sorvino was rising up the ranks in the acting world before Harvey Weinstein "stifled" her career, she said. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

It was only years later that Sorvino noticed the repercussions of holding her boundaries had a major impact on her livelihood in the entertainment industry. 

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"I stopped being a viable movie actress," she said. "I still did indies and I still did television, but that was very hard."

Sorvino "didn't know at the time what was happening," but she was allegedly no longer receiving offers or roles despite her status as an award-winning actress. 

Paul Sorvino was lost for words when his daughter, Mira, won an Academy Award in 1996. (Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)

"It became, you know, a sort of feeling like fate was just not going on my side, but it was going to be just a matter of time till I was gonna get back my status," she said.

"But then, I got married. I became a mother. I became a U.N. goodwill ambassador in human trafficking, [which has] just been a huge part of my life. It's a position I've held since 2009, officially. But yeah, my family. My family is my everything and I don't see my worth as being a famous actress. I see my worth as being a good person."

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Weinstein was found guilty of rape and sexual assault in 2020, and was sentenced to 23 years in prison in New York. He's currently waiting for a ruling on his appeal, which was argued last month.

Three years later, a Los Angeles court found Weinstein guilty of rape, forced oral copulation and another sexual misconduct count. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison – a ruling his legal team has also vowed to appeal.

Harvey Weinstein and Mira Sorvino in 2006. He worked with her on the Woody Allen film "Mighty Aphrodite." (Getty Images)

Fellow panelist Susan Sarandon noted during Sorvino's discussion, "I don't think people talk enough about the people who facilitated the Harvey Weinsteins of the world that are still functioning, that are equally responsible, that knew when they were sending people to a hotel, who didn't pay attention when someone complained."

She continued, "Sexualization is like a mainstay of this business. So it's very confusing to be, you know, a young girl and know that they're checking on your viability, according to how sexy you are. You know that, right? You do know that there's something going on.

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"They call it a chemistry thing or whatever they want to call it. But that is part of what you're bringing to the table. Whether you like that or not, that exists. There was this big flourish of this whole thing and then Harvey Weinstein, thank God, was punished against all odds. But I don't think we've done the cleanup afterwards that we should be doing."