The star of HBO's 'Divorce' says he prefers working with women to men because you don't get into the 'macho bulls--t'

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The star of HBO's 'Divorce' says he prefers working with women to men because you don't get into the 'macho bulls--t'

Thomas Haden Church

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  • In an interview with Business Insider, "Divorce" star Thomas Haden Church opened up about working on a more diverse set.
  • HBO, and his co-star Sarah Jessica Parker, made sure that the set on season two of "Divorce" was more diverse than the first, including more episodes directed by women.
  • Church said he prefers working with women, because "if everybody you work with is a dude, you just get into macho bulls--t. "

As the #MeToo movement continues, it inspires more open and honest discussions about equal pay for women and equal representation in the film and television industry.

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In an interview with Business Insider, "Divorce" star Thomas Haden Church had quite a few thoughts on diversity in the industry, and why it's better for everyone. He said that he prefers working with women, and always has because, "If everybody you work with is a dude, you just get into macho bulls--t. "

On season two of HBO's half-hour dark comedy "Divorce," co-star and producer Sarah Jessica Parker, with the help of HBO, created a more diverse set, from production to directors to crew. In season two, there were more female-directed episodes than in season one.

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Business Insider recently sat down with Church, who plays Robert Dufresne on "Divorce." You might recognize him from "Sideways," which got him an Oscar nomination in 2005. He also played the Sandman in "Spider-man 3."

When asked about the diverse work environment Parker created on the season-two set, Church dove into a well-over five-minute answer.

"It's like instead of waiting for diversity to happen, HBO is like, 'Why don't we sort of plant those seeds and make sure those seeds flourish.' The majority of television and clearly the majority of film directors are men, but I've been out of TV for so long that I don't know what the balance is."

Before Church got into film roles, he starred on the 90s sitcoms "Wings" and "Ned and Stacey." "Divorce" is the first television show he's worked on in twenty years. When Church is not acting, he lives on a cattle ranch in Texas.

"I always preferred working with women," Church said. "It's . . . it's just easier. If everybody you work with is a dude, you just get into macho bullsh--t. And when I've been directed by women, you just don't have to navigate the same sort of ego stuff, you know? You just don't. And it's because men and women are different, and I think in working relationships those relationships are a strength."

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Church said that stories, especially on "Divorce," work better when there are more voices involved. Not every show about a man should just be a guy's take on a guy's behavior.

"I mean, it's the only way to really, I think to be authentic," he said.

"There's got to be a balance to it to really be the best you can be," Church continued. He then said he'd love to see a female NFL coach, a female NBA coach, and even female players in those leagues. "The further we push equality in gender, race, any of it, it's the further we really understand who we are."

You can watch season one of "Divorce," where Church is absolutely hilarious, on HBOGo and HBONow. Season two airs new episodes Sunday nights on HBO.