John Cusack says Hollywood is a ‘wh**ehouse’ that promotes ‘kiddie porn’

Maybe it’s because of his role in Maps to the Stars, a drama about the downsides of fame. Or maybe it’s a result of his experiences as a former teen star. Either way, John Cusack sounded mighty cynical when talking about the current nature of Hollywood in a new interview with The Guardian.

“People would look after you when I was a kid. There were good people in the business. When I came to LA Rob Reiner said: ‘Come stay at my house,’” John, 48, said. “Now it’s different. The culture just eats young actors up and spits them out. It’s a hard thing to survive without finding safe harbor.”

Although he admitted his own career has been “blessed,” John said it’s distressing to look at the prospects for young actresses.

“For women it’s brutal. Bruce [Wagner]’s thing about if you’re 26, you’re menopausal? It’s only absurd because it’s a little bit further than the truth,” he said. “I have actress friends who are being put out to pasture at 29. They just want to open up another can of hot 22. It’s becoming almost like kiddie porn. It’s f**king weird.”

John said that trend is driven by the corporations investing in films.

“Now it’s six for them – with a committee cutting the film who weren’t part of making it – and maybe one for you,” he said of having limited creative options. “It’s a wh**ehouse and people go mad.”