Chris Rock has revealed that he has fired people from his movie sets because they couldn't take directions from a woman.
The actor and comedian made the revelation during a recent Variety "Actors on Actors" discussion between Rock and fellow actor Nicole Kidman.
Discussing women in power within Hollywood, the 56-year-old Spiral star told Kidman: "I've fired people because they couldn't listen to a woman. I was like, 'How come he's not doing ...?' And then I realize, 'Oh.'"
Per Insider, the topic came about after Kidman spoke about her upcoming movie Being the Ricardos, in which she plays the iconic star Lucille Ball.
Speaking of Ball, 53-year-old Kidman said: "She was a trailblazer.
"She formed her production company. Desi [Arnaz] was Cuban, and she had to fight to get him on the show. They had just so many things in their marriage that are so relevant today, and what she was also dealing with in terms of everything that artists deal with, where you're up against big corporations. And you're like, 'No, this is art.'"
Rock then stressed the difficulties stars like Ball faced in the entertainment industry, saying: "Let's not downplay the fact [of] how hard it must've been to be a woman at that time going through, you know, just like, 'I'm the boss. Not him. I'm the boss.'"
Rock's breakout role came in the 1993 comedy movie CB4, which was directed by Tamra Davis.
He then told Kidman that he has never had a problem with having women as his bosses. Opening up about the close relationship he had with his mother growing up, as well as being mentored by comics like Susie Essman and Joy Behar, Rock said: "I just always was around these powerful women.
"I mean, even in comedy, the clubs were run by women."
Rock added: "Everybody talks about how stand-up is a boys' club, but stand-up's been run by a lot of women for a lot of years."
Rock's late mother, Rose, raised Chris alongside his nine siblings and 17 foster children.
In 2008, she told Today: "I knew Chris would be famous. I just thought it would be because of his writing. Inside him he has a book, maybe even a Pulitzer."
And speaking about all of her children, she said: "I raised them to be great. Great doesn’t mean to be movie stars or artists. Great means to be wonderful people."
