Joseph Fiennes says he rejected a Hollywood career due to bullying tactics by Harvey Weinstein

• Joseph Fiennes said he turned down a five-part Hollywood movie deal in his early career.
• He told The Observer that decision was due to bullying by Harvey Weinstein.

Joseph Fiennes said he turned down a big Hollywood deal early in his career due to bullying tactics by the now-disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein.

"The Handmaid's Tale" star told The Observer Weinstein had put pressure on him to sign a five-film deal with Miramax shortly after his roles in the Oscar-winning "Shakespeare in Love," in which Fiennes was cast, and "Elizabeth," in the late 1990s.

Fiennes said the producer made aggressive claims that he would take control of his actor's career, and made it clear that a refusal would have a negative impact on his career.

"It was a bullying tactic that didn't sit well," Fiennes told The Observer in an interview.

"The way he explained it was a shock to me. But I suddenly sat in the room very present, and happy and strong in myself to say, you know what, I'm not beholden to that. I'm stepping away," he added.

Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in jail in 2020 for rape and sexual assault, and he was given an additional 16-year sentence earlier this year. Fiennes said he was unaware of any allegations against Weinstein at the time.

Fiennes, the younger brother of actor Ralph Fiennes, said that episode with Weinstein had certainly not helped his career, but stopped short of saying that it "hurt" it.

Fiennes went on to appear in films like "Enemy at the Gates" and "Luther," and later earned an Emmy nomination for for his role as Commander Waterford in the TV adaptation of "The Handmaid's Tale."