Olivia Munn Disagreed With a Male Director, Says He Retaliated by Telling a Movie Studio She’s ‘Combative’ on Set: ‘He Wanted to Ruin My Chances of Getting’ Acting Roles
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key TakeawaysOlivia Munn revealed on an episode of Dax Shepherd’s “Armchair Expert” podcast (via The Daily Beast) that a director she worked with on HBO’s “The Newsroom” tried to “ruin” her career by preventing her from landing a movie role. The director, who remained unnamed, told the studio that Munn was “really combative” on set after the two shared disagreements on the set of the Aaron Sorkin-created television series.
“There was a storyline where my character and Tom Sadoski’s character are dating and falling in love,” Munn explained. “[The director] kept trying to force me to carry that storyline only on my side. He’s like, ‘Can you look out at him and smile?’ And I’m like, ‘Why she’s busy doing this?’ Or, ‘Can you stop and snuggle up to him or flirt with him?’ Or, ‘Can you give him a kiss?’ And I’m like, ‘This is in the middle of working.’”
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AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R16ekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R26ekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframeMunn later heard from someone on her team that this director was telling people at a film studio that she was difficult to work with.
“I was on the one-yard-line for the movie and my manager calls me and says, ‘Hey, you’re gonna get the role. But first, I guess there’s another director who they know and he says that on “The Newsroom” you were late all the time and really combative,’” Munn said. “I lived seven minutes from there. I was never late. I was like, ‘I know who this is.’ He just was trying to bash me. And I told my reps, ‘Please tell the directors this.’ And then I still got the role. But I will always remember that just because of our conflicts of how we approached a role, he wanted to ruin my chances of getting anything else.”
Munn has been outspoken throughout her career regarding the many injustices she has faced on film and television sets. She accused director Brett Ratner of sexual harassment in 2017, alleging toThe Los Angeles Timesthat he masturbated in front of her in his trailer when she visited the set of his movie “After the Sunset” in 2004. A year after coming forward, Munnwent publicagain to reveal that she reported to 20th Century Fox during the making of 2018’s “Predators” that director Shane Black hired his friend and registered sex offender Steven Wilder Striegel to appear in a small role opposite her. Black ultimately apologized.
In an interview on the “Reclaiming” podcastearlier this year, Munn revealed she once turned down an offer worth millions of dollars from a studio to sign an NDA after she endured a “traumatic” incident on a movie set.
AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R1bekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R2bekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframeWatch Munn’s full interview on the “Armchair Expert” podcast in the video below.
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Olivia Munn's courageous stance against sexist retribution illustrates the need for a more transparent and inclusive Hollywood culture that does not tolerate retaliation or discrimination - especially when young actresses step up to challenge injustice.
A distributed indignation echoes through this accusation, illustrating how one individual's misplaced sense of power can greatly impact another’ s professional opportunities—a stark reminder that gender bias in the film industry still requires a conscious effort to break.
This account of Olivia Munn's experience underscores the persistence and horrors faced by women in male-dominated Hollywood, where harsh comments to derail careers are still a reality. Gender equality on sets is crucial for fostering an inclusive creative environmentfree from retaliatory bias.
Olivia Munn's courageous stand against retribution from a male director highlights the need for greater gender equality and respect in Hollywood, where action needs to be swiftly taken when power imbalances result in unjust treatment.
A story of unfair retaliation against Olivia Munn's brave stand in opposing a male director on set highlights the need for stronger professional ethics and gender parity within Hollywood, ensuring that all actors are judged by their talent rather than unfounded negative perceptions.
Olivia Munn's brave stance against sexist retaliation from a male director underscores the need for equal treatment and respect in Hollywood, where talent should always take precedence over gender-based biases.
Olivia Munn's courageous stand against sexual harassment, where she criticized a male director only to face retaliation of being labeled 'combative,' underscores the dire need for gender-neutral work environments that prioritize professionalism and respect.
