“Having power in Hollywood at that time made men uncomfortable”: Dawn Steel, Who Made Top Gun Feminist Before it Was Cool, Was Fired When She Became Pregnant

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Dawn Steel was one of the most influential and significant figures in the film industry regarding women working in production settings. Women acting in films is nothing new and has not been for decades. However, the same cannot be said about their presence behind the camera. The production of films, the studios that make them, and all of the major decisions were always taken by men; that was until Steel came around.

Dawn Steel [Credit: Spotlight]In 1987, she became one of the first women to run a major Hollywood film studio, becoming the president of Columbia Pictures. Despite all that she represented for the feminist movement and the change she brought about in the film industry, many were not happy with her achievements. So much so, that the producer was fired soon after she had her first child.

Dawn Steel’s Well-Used Power

Dawn Steelopened many doors for women when she had the power to. The best example of this would be her actions during the making of Tom Cruise’sTop Gun. Kelly McGillis’s character was originally supposed to be astereotypical ‘bimbo-bombshell’ character. Interestingly enough, the producer refused to greenlight the project until her character was given more complexity.

Kelly McGillis and Tom Cruise in Top Gun [Credit: Paramount]Her putting her foot down in this situation showed just how much she cared about the representation and advancement of women. Producer Lynda Obst, who was a good friend of Steel, spoke about how much she advocated for other women during an interview with theLos Angeles Times(viaFilm Stories).

I don’t think she did it for ideological reasons– she did it because they were talented,

She took a lot of heat for women taking power. Having power in Hollywood at that time made men uncomfortable.

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Obst talked about how the producer gave opportunities not for the sake of giving them, but because the recipients deserved them. While she spent the majority of her life towards this goal, a similar regard was not given to her when she was having her child.

Dawn Steel Was Fired After Having A Child

The balance of work and home life is something that women have been asked about and had to deal with for a very long time. This was a hurdle even Dawn Steel had to jump through when she was rising through the ranks of Hollywood. In 1987, she was pregnant and had her only daughter, Rebecca.

Dawn Steel [Credit: Spotlight]She had a plan when it came to her daughter and her professional career; she would be with her child for the first month on maternity leave, and then she would get back to her life at Paramount. However, before she could execute this plan, the opportunity was ripped from her hands.

“I’m gonna fire him”: Tom Cruise’s Top Gun Director Was Almost Fired Over 1 Scene That Took an Entire Day to Shoot Because it Infuriated Paramount Studios

When she was still in the hospital, she was informed that her post in the studio had been stolen. Paramount had hired someone new, who would take over the majority of Steel’s responsibilities. They gave her power in nothing but name, and everyone knew it. Rather than staying quiet and letting this go on, she left to become an independent producer, and soon after, she joined Colombia Pictures.

Top Gunis available for streaming on Paramount+.

Ananya Godboley

Senior Writer

Articles Published :2219

Ananya Godboley is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows, with over 2,000 articles published. She has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years. Currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in psychology from K.R. Mangalam University, Ananya also likes to fangirl as a full-time job. She covers news and analyses on anything from Rick and Morty to Hannibal and even Arcane. In between these lines, she also enjoys superheroes and Taylor Swift.A philosophy enthusiast, Ananya enjoys digging deeper into the media she consumes, trying to understand the root of her favorite characters' behavior.

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Dawn Steel