If I were conducting interviews for a lighthouse guardian-type position, I would be fine with hiring a Nazi zoophiliac bug-chasing rapist with a scatological fixation and a fondness for Beck’s beer, as long as he could do the job well. Arguably, I might even be somewhat happy to have a chance of reducing the social presence of such a distasteful person.
But if I were hiring a personal secretary, I (or whoever they will work with) would need not simply to tolerate, but to actually like the guy or gal. Good personal chemistry is a key part of that job, and if there was a law forbidding me from discriminating against, say, Scientologists I’d make a serious effort to circumvent it (hardly a difficult feat; I probably wouldn’t even have to lie).
Other jobs fall somewhere in the spectrum between those two extremes, and would be treated accordingly.
I brought up Scientologists as an example because I, personally, would feel extremely uncomfortable spending lots of time in the company of one and having to rely on them.
As a casting director, I imagine I wouldn’t have to personally deal with the Hubbardite much longer, so that issue would not arise. I would, however, try to evaluate the risk of the film being harmed as a result of this trait of the actor—say, if other, more important members of the crew had similar reservations as mine which would prejudice their work; or if the actor became unreliable, cumbersome, or quit altogether due to Church obligations; or if he were [made] to spout Scientologist propaganda during interviews; and so on. So I guess I would hold it against them, although not being familiar with how cinema works I can’t say to what degree.
Admittedly it might be because I have (very mild) autism, but as long as a personal secretary was sufficently competent I wouldn’t mind if I didn’t get along with them.
If I were conducting interviews for a lighthouse guardian-type position, I would be fine with hiring a Nazi zoophiliac bug-chasing rapist with a scatological fixation and a fondness for Beck’s beer, as long as he could do the job well. Arguably, I might even be somewhat happy to have a chance of reducing the social presence of such a distasteful person.
But if I were hiring a personal secretary, I (or whoever they will work with) would need not simply to tolerate, but to actually like the guy or gal. Good personal chemistry is a key part of that job, and if there was a law forbidding me from discriminating against, say, Scientologists I’d make a serious effort to circumvent it (hardly a difficult feat; I probably wouldn’t even have to lie).
Other jobs fall somewhere in the spectrum between those two extremes, and would be treated accordingly.
Hmmm…
There are several famous, highly skilled actors who are also Scientologists. If you were casting a movie, would/should you hold that against them?
I brought up Scientologists as an example because I, personally, would feel extremely uncomfortable spending lots of time in the company of one and having to rely on them.
As a casting director, I imagine I wouldn’t have to personally deal with the Hubbardite much longer, so that issue would not arise. I would, however, try to evaluate the risk of the film being harmed as a result of this trait of the actor—say, if other, more important members of the crew had similar reservations as mine which would prejudice their work; or if the actor became unreliable, cumbersome, or quit altogether due to Church obligations; or if he were [made] to spout Scientologist propaganda during interviews; and so on. So I guess I would hold it against them, although not being familiar with how cinema works I can’t say to what degree.
Admittedly it might be because I have (very mild) autism, but as long as a personal secretary was sufficently competent I wouldn’t mind if I didn’t get along with them.