Diane Kruger is opening up about a time when she felt objectified during an early part of her movie career.
At a panel for VarietySXSW Studio on Monday, March 14, the National Treasure actress shared that she had an "uncomfortable" experience during the screen test for the 2004 film Troy, adding that she has "definitely come across the [Harvey] Weinsteins of this world from the get-go."
"I remember testing for Troy and having to go to the studio head in costume," the 45-year-old recalled. "And I felt like meat, being looked up and down and was asked, 'Why do you think you should be playing this?'"
Kruger declined to disclose the name of the executive, however, she said she's "been put in situations that were so inappropriate and so uncomfortable" and that during the early part of her career she just assumed this is what the film world was like.
"I think when I first started out, it just felt like, 'This is what it's like. This is what Hollywood is like,'" she continued. "Also, I come from modeling and believe me, they have their moments."
Kruger's latest revelation comes more than two months after she slammed director Quentin Tarantino for his casting process for the 2009 movie, Inglourious Basterds.
During the Jan. 11 episode of the Reign With Josh Smith podcast, the Unknown actress shared that the award-winning filmmaker "wouldn't see me in the U.S." because he disliked a previous film she was in. Kruger said she had to pay out-of-pocket for a plane ticket to Germany to secure an audition for the movie and was only given a chance because "there was no one left to audition."
"So, I had to jump through all these hoops that definitely put my nose out of joint, but I was like, ‘You know what, f--k him,'" she said. "I'm just gonna do that and prove him that I could do it.'"