Matthew Lawrence opened up about a harrowing experience that involved an Oscar-winning film director during an audition.
In the latest episode of Brotherly Love podcast, which he hosts with his two siblings, the 43-year-old actor recalled being offered a big role at a Marvel production.
He described the emasculating moment when he was asked to strip and the consequences that followed.
“There’s been many times in my life where I’ve been propositioned to get a huge role,” Lawrence said, continuing:
“I’ve lost my agency because I went to the hotel room, which I can’t believe they would send me to, of a very prominent Oscar award-winning director who showed up in his robe, asked me to take my clothes off, and said he needed to take Polaroids of me.”
Lawrence added, “And then if I did X, Y, and Z, I would be the next Marvel character. I didn’t do that, and my agency fired me because I left this director’s room.”
The Boy Meets World alum did not name the director in question or the movie role he auditioned for at the time of the alleged incident.
The actor continued by calling out the double standard in the Hollywood industry when men talk about sexual harassment versus women.
He referenced Terry Crews, who opened up about being sexually assaulted in 2017 at the height of the MeToo movement and said the actor did not receive adequate support due to his representation of masculinity.
Lawrence acknowledged that men are less likely to be victims than women but argued that not enough men talk about sexual harassment.
Matthew Lawrence started his career as a child actor
Lawrence began working as a child actor around the age of four.
He got his first role as Danny Carrington in the 80s television soap drama Dynasty. Some of his notable roles include portraying Robin Williams’ son in the 1993 hit movie Mrs. Doubtfire.
He also starred as Jack Hunter in the ABC coming-of-age sitcom Boy Meets World, and he snagged a lead role on the family comedy Brotherly Love, in which he starred alongside his brothers, Joey Lawrence and Andrew Lawrence.
Chilli gushes about romance with Matthew Lawrence
Chilli, best known as one-third of the girl group TLC has been dating Lawrence for several months.
The 52-year-old singer confirmed she was dating Lawrence in January after they were first linked last year.
During a Variety’s Power of Women luncheon earlier this month, she gushed about their relationship.
According to Page Six, the songstress said that the actor changed the way she views relationships and said the pair are happy.
She didn’t reveal whether the pair are planning on getting married as they are still in the early phase of their relationship.
Lawrence and Chilli had been friends for many years before their bond turned romantic.
The actor was previously married to Dancing With the Stars pro Cheryl Burke, but the pair divorced in 2022.