Stranger Things‘ Finn Wolfhard has revealed that he immediately fired his agent after learning of sexual misconduct allegations against him. Wolfhard is a Canadian actor and musician, best known for his roles in Stranger Things, IT, and Ghostbusters: Afterlife. This young artist’s career is only continuing to grow as he branches out in the field of filmmaking. It was recently announced that Wolfhard will be directing his first feature film, which will be a horror-comedy-slasher.
Wolfhard’s impressive career began at just age 11 when he landed his breakthrough role as Mike Wheeler in Netflix’s Stranger Things. As Stranger Things surged in popularity, he took the opportunity to further develop his acting career and to pursue both music and directing, as well. His career thus far has seen him shine in one of Netflix’s most popular series, work alongside seasoned actors such as Paul Rudd, Bill Murray, and Sigourney Weaver, and manage to carry a fulfilling music career on top of it all. Next year, Wolfhard will be reprising his role as Wheeler in Stranger Things season 4, and on November 19, 2021, he’ll hit the big screen in Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
As reported by the Washington Post, Wolfhard opened up about firing his agent, Tyler Grasham, after allegations of sexual misconduct arose. The accusations arose in 2017, when Grasham was the agent for Wolfhard, who was 14 years old at the time. After the allegations, Wolfhard was one of the very first clients to concretely depart with the agency. He explained that it was actually an easy decision and he had no doubt about firing him when thinking of the individuals who might’ve been hurt by Grasham. Check out Wolfhard’s statement below:
He was abusing his power. When it comes to something like that, you can’t be personal, like, ‘Yeah, but I’ve met him and he’s really nice.’ When something incredibly serious and awful like that comes out, there’s no going back. When I found that out, I was like, ‘Oh, absolutely fire him. That’s insane.’ I felt so terrible for the people who were harmed by this person.
Wolfhard’s confidence in his decision shows a wisdom well beyond his years. At 14 years of age and receiving attention for Stranger Things and IT, the decision wasn’t one that anyone would expect to have to make. However, it became a reality for the young actor as the #MeToo movement burst forth and four accusations against Grasham arose. The accusations were ultimately dismissed, and Grasham continued to work in the industry. Regardless if charges were never made, the accusations alone were enough for Wolfhard to drop the agent without hesitation.
Despite his young age, Wolfhard set a strong example for all those within the film industry when he chose to fire his agent. Sexual abuse and misconduct is rampant in Hollywood, where there is a clear opportunity for abuse of power. Sadly, there are many celebrities who would not have made the same decision as Wolfhard and who continue to work with and give a platform to abusers, as long as they feel it betters their career. Angelina Jolie’s ex-husband, Brad Pitt, even made the decision to work with Harvey Weinstein despite allegations from Jolie that Weinstein had assaulted her. Wolfhard gave no indication that Grasham had acted untowardly with him in any manner, however, he chose not to be biased by his own experiences when hearing the victims’ accusations. Stranger Things’ Wolfhard quietly nabbed a huge victory for the #MeToo movement when he refused to employ an agent accused of sexual misconduct and put victims’ testimony over his own career and perspective.
Source: Washington Post
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