The Unlikely A-Lister Who Supported Olivia Wilde's Big Career Shift
Olivia Wilde slowly stepped into the directing world in past years. After it was announced that the "House" actor would be directing "Don't Worry Darling," it was announced that she also signed on to work on a secret Marvel film. The actor responded to the report with a spider emoji, making fans believe she'll be directing the new Spider-Woman movie. But with these new directing opportunities, Wilde still has some criticisms.
It was rumored that actor Shia LaBeouf was fired from "Don't Worry Darling" because his acting process, which Wilde said "seems to require a combative energy," didn't match her directing style. LaBeouf cleared those rumors through an email to the director that was obtained by Variety. He claimed that he actually quit the movie was because he couldn't find time to rehearse with the other actors.
The "Rush" actor has also been in a rumored feud with Florence Pugh, who is starring in "Don't Worry Darling" alongside Harry Styles. In an August 16 interview with Harper's Bazaar, the Marvel actor said, "When it's reduced to your sex scenes, or to watch the most famous man in the world go down on someone, it's not why we do it. It's not why I'm in this industry." Fans took this comment as a subtle jab at Wilde's directing style, assuming Pugh wasn't completely comfortable with how the movie has been advertised. While some actors have taken issue with Wilde's directing, one particular actor helped her out.
Bradley Cooper supported Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde is looking forward to the future as she gets more opportunities to direct films. The "Cowboys & Aliens" actor told Variety that she feels fortunate "Booksmart" wasn't a huge box-office hit, as it gave her another opportunity to flex her directing skills. "I really feel, at this point, that I have earned the right to say I'm a director," she said. But due to financial problems, she faced another challenge — having to star in the movie as well.
"I asked director friends how that experience would be ... and they all said, 'Oh, it's so great,'" Wilde told Maggie Gyllenhaal during an interview with Interview magazine. She mentioned that Bradley Cooper was among one of her supporters going into this new obstacle. "It's going to be really wonderful to be able to direct from within the scenes," he reportedly said.
Wilde also mentioned that the hardest part about being an actor and a director for the same movie was flipping back and forth between the two jobs. Taika Waititi, who is known to star in some of his own films such as the "Thor' movies, had a similar struggle. In an IMDb panel interview, the "Jojo Rabbit" director, who also starred in the movie as Adolf Hitler, recalled a time when he was yelling at the crew across a river, dressed up as his character.