Harvey Weinstein 'Casting Couch' statue debuts pre-Oscars

A golden statue of a bathrobe-clad Harvey Weinstein, seated regally atop a couch with an Oscar in hand, took up temporary sidewalk residence close to the site of Sunday's Academy Awards.

FILE - In this Jan. 8, 2017, file photo, Harvey Weinstein arrives at The Weinstein Company and Netflix Golden Globes afterparty in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)

"Casting Couch" is a collaborative work between a Los Angeles street artist known as Plastic Jesus and Joshua "Ginger" Monroe, designer of 2016's nude Donald Trump statues placed in major U.S. cities.

A golden statue of a bathrobe-clad Harvey Weinstein, seated almost regally atop a couch holding a fake "Oscar Statuette," takes up temporary sidewalk residence four days before the Oscars on Hollywood Blvd. in Los Angeles Thursday, March 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

The life-sized Weinstein sculpture, displayed Thursday on Hollywood Boulevard, aims to spotlight the entertainment industry's sexual misconduct crisis and the disgraced studio mogul's role in it, Plastic Jesus said.

A dog named "Sassi" sits next to a golden statue of a bathrobe-clad Harvey Weinstein, seated atop a couch on the sidewalk along Hollywood Blvd., in Los Angeles Thursday, March 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

"There's so much about Hollywood that's great and celebrated in the Oscars, but there's also this underbelly of darkness within the industry that we often sweep under the carpet or ignore," said Plastic Jesus, formerly a London-based photographer.

The phrase "casting couch," used to describe the demand of sexual favors for work, may seem a relic of a bygone era but is "still very much a part of the Hollywood culture," he said.

A tour van drives past an art piece showing a bathrobe-clad Harvey Weinstein seated atop a couch and clutching an Oscar statue on the sidewalk along Hollywood Blvd., in Los Angeles Thursday, March 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Plastic Jesus said he and Monroe first considered a standing Weinstein statue but quickly decided to incorporate a chaise lounge. The project, made of fiberglass and acrylic resin, was in the works for two months.

It will be on display this weekend, weather permitting.

Visitors to the sculpture were sitting next to the faux Weinstein and taking selfies, turning it into an interactive installment, Plastic Jesus said.

It also expands the symbolism, he said.

People walk past a gold art piece showing a bathrobe-clad Harvey Weinstein seated atop a couch and clutching an Oscar statue on the sidewalk along Hollywood Blvd., in Los Angeles Thursday, March 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

"For many, many people, aspiring actors and actresses, that would have been their dream to be close to Harvey," but that reality has proven a nightmare for some, the artist said.

Los Angeles street artist Plastic Jesus sits on his art installation showing a bathrobe-clad Harvey Weinstein seated atop a couch and clutching an Oscar statue on the sidewalk along Hollywood Blvd., in Los Angeles, Thursday, March 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Weinstein has been accused by dozens of women of sexual harassment or sexual assault, including rape. He's denied all allegations of non-consensual sex, but apologized for "the way I've behaved with colleagues in the past."

Plastic Jesus has created a series of Oscar-timed statues, including one last year of Kanye West in a crucified pose and titled "False Idol."

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — When actor Amy Baik was cast in a South Korean commercial last year, she thought she had landed a promising gig.

But after filming wrapped, she was shocked to learn that both the director and advertiser had cut her scenes — not because of her performance, but because she lacked a facial feature prized in South Korean beauty standards.

“The reason was that I don’t have double eyelids,” said Baik, 26.

“After receiving that feedback, I started to reconsider what kind of appearance Korea wants," she said, adding it "made me wonder how I can survive as an actor in South Korea.”

That experience pushed her toward a different market. The global success of “Parasite,” “Minari” and “Squid Game” has opened doors for South Korean performers in Hollywood — and spawned a cottage industry of consultants helping actors navigate American casting.

“Hollywood’s the dream (...) the ultimate pinnacle of acting accolades,” said Julia Kim, a Korean American casting director who worked on “Minari,” Amazon Prime’s “Butterfly” and “KPop Demon Hunters.”

While established stars like Park Hae-soo and Lee Byung-hun have both South Korean and American representation, most aspiring Korean actors lack such connections. That gap is what talent agencies like Los Angeles-based Upstage Entertainment are trying to bridge.

Alison Dumbell, a co-founder of Upstage with experience in Bollywood and Los Angeles, said she has noticed more demands for “characters that are specifically Korean” than generic “East Asian” ones from Western producers. She attributes that shift partly to the global popularity of South Korean entertainment.

Still, stereotypes persist. “The one that irritates me is the nerdy tech programmer," Dumbell said. “Sometimes I just won’t even submit my actor for that because I know that they’re much more nuanced as actors.”

For most South Korean actors without connections or know-how, Hollywood is still uncharted territory.

Kim, who typically casts high-profile stars and works with local casting directors for co-productions, also finds actors via social media. “I usually put out an open call on my Instagram,” she said.

But for actors without major agency backing, the right contacts are hard to find. The American and Korean industries operate differently, and U.S. casting information rarely reaches those outside established networks.

Kim said South Korean talent faces a steep learning curve. “I would get questions — should I change my Korean name to a Western name? Do I pay to get an agent? Can I look into the camera when I’m doing an audition?” she said. Even name consistency is an issue: Kim recalled a K-pop artist turned actor whose name appeared five different ways online.

Technical standards also differ. Actor Misun Youm noted American audition tapes require clean white backgrounds, while “in Korea, it doesn’t matter.”

Headshots diverge too: South Korean profiles feature modellike images, while American headshots match character types.

“In Korea, you shoot profile photos like a fashion magazine model,” said veteran actor Shin Ju-hwan, who goes by Julian Shin. He played a masked soldier in second and third seasons of “Squid Game," and stars in “Taxi Driver” Season 3.

Shin found Upstage by chance — his wife, a producer, discovered them on LinkedIn.

His Hollywood dream was partly motivated by colleagues at his former agency — Han Yeri in “Minari” and Jung Ho-yeon in “Squid Game.”

“Even though I wasn’t a main character — I was just a ‘soldier’ — people who saw even that brief appearance started leaving comments on my Instagram,” Shin said. “The impact of that show was truly unparalleled.”

Shin took an intensive approach to English, transcribing over 30,000 English words and expressions from the internet, then using AI to check if any phrases were outdated. “Idioms are really fun,” he said. ”‘Break a leg’ or ‘hold your horses’ — learning those makes you feel closer to being native.”

The accent question looms large.

Devin Overman, another co-founder of Upstage who coaches English line delivery, said “it’s perfectly fine, even preferable to have an accent because the accent is part of who you are."

She focuses on intonation. “When native Korean speakers are trying to read English lines, it sounds like they’re reading. That’s the hardest thing to break," she said.

But consultants aren’t pushing actors to erase their identity. Shin recalled Dumbell advising him not to sound too “American-ish.” “She said people would prefer my genuine pronunciation,” he said.

For Shin, the pivot came as opportunities in South Korea contracted.

“Starting three years ago, I realized this industry was getting harder,” he said. “Since the Korean market was struggling, I thought I should broaden my horizons to international markets.”

Age discrimination is also driving some actors abroad. Youm, 29, said in South Korea “30 isn’t considered young."

“There are some limitations when it comes to finding an agency or auditioning for a role,” she said.

Shin, in his 40s, was given a chance to audition for a 20-something character for an international production. “In Korean audition tapes, you usually say your age,” he noted. “In the U.S. (…) they don’t.”

Baik, who got a minor role in the Netflix teen romantic comedy “XO, Kitty," now sees her features as assets abroad.

After feedback from American casting directors, she said she learned “I could do action roles and break free from the ‘cute’ image.”

She also found working with an international crew an eye-opening experience, and came to appreciate aspects of the American work culture. “In Korea, overtime was routine. In the American market, you clock in and clock out like an office worker," she said. "It was more efficient.”

She said her ongoing journey to Hollywood has taught her to trust herself.

“At first, everyone said it would be impossible (...) ‘Only famous Korean actors can do this,’” she recalled. "But after watching me fly overseas and make everything happen with my own hands...I can say with certainty from my experience that Hollywood is ready to open its doors to anyone.”

Shin, who hopes to play a villain in American productions, sees a shift.

“There was a time when it seemed like you had to roll your R’s and act like an American… But now it feels like you can be yourself — be Korean if you’re Korean,” Shin said. “Stereotypes are gradually crumbling.”

This version corrects the spelling of the Upstage Entertainment co-founder's name to Devin Overman, not Devon.

CAPTION CORRECTS THE NAME - Devin Overman, left, and Alison Dumbell, co-founders of consulting firm Upstage Entertainment, advise South Korean actors on navigating the Hollywood casting system in Seoul, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Juwon Park)

Amy Baik, a South Korean actor, performs a scene for an English-language demo reel she plans to submit to Hollywood casting directors in Seoul, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Juwon Park)

South Korean actor Julian Shin talks to The Associated Press about his career and efforts to break into Hollywood in Seoul, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Juwon Park)

Devon Overman, left, and Alison Dumbell, co-founders of consulting firm Upstage Entertainment, advise South Korean actors on navigating the Hollywood casting system in Seoul, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Juwon Park)

Misun Youm, actor, performs a scene for an English-language demo reel she plans to submit to Hollywood casting directors in Seoul, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Juwon Park)

Amy Baik, a South Korean actor, performs a scene for an English-language demo reel she plans to submit to Hollywood casting directors in Seoul, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Juwon Park)