Vincent Gallo has been accused of making sexually explicit and threatening comments during auditions for his upcoming Golden State Killer drama The Policeman.
The 62-year-old American actor is set to play serial killer Joseph James DeAngelo in the film, which has now completed shooting.
Two female actors filed complaints to the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA about comments Gallo allegedly made to them during the audition process.
In one complaint, seen by Rolling Stone, the actor wrote that Gallo said to her: “If I say to suck my d*** or I will kill you, I want you, you the person, not you the character, not you the actor, but you, to truly believe you will die if you don’t do as I say.
“And just like you would in real life, if this were happening to you, I want you to do all of the actions necessary to do that. You won’t actually suck my d***, but you do not have the power, I have all the power. You have no control, I am in complete control.”
In a second complaint, another actor said that she was auditioning for a role requiring full nudity when Gallo began talking about his “torture porn fantasies”.
“He then proceeded to tell me that the filming environment he wanted to create was one that was fully improvised,” the complaint continued. “In order to truly tell the story in an ‘accurate way,’ he needed actresses who were willing to have their ‘minds and bodies be 100 percent dominated by him’ from the moment they arrived on set.”
Vincent Gallo (left) and Joseph James DeAngelo, the Golden State Killer— (Getty)
A SAG-AFTRA spokesperson said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter: “We are aware of these complaints and are investigating.
“We extensively engaged with production regarding the complaints and, while shooting has wrapped, we continue to monitor and investigate.
“We also reaffirm our commitment to ensuring a safe and respectful environment on set. Because our inquiry is ongoing, we cannot respond to specifics of the complaint.”
The Independent has approached Gallo for comment.
In court in Sacramento, California, prosecutor Thien Ho explained that DeAngelo had been left alone in a police interrogation room in April 2018 when he started talking to himself.
According to Mr Ho, the former police officer said: “I did all that. I didn’t have the strength to push him out. He made me. He went with me. It was like in my head, I mean, he’s a part of me. I didn’t want to do those things. I pushed Jerry out and had a happy life. I did all those things. I destroyed all their lives. So now I’ve got to pay the price.”
DeAngelo, 74, was jailed for life without parole but avoided the death penalty.
