Olivia Munn says 'Newsroom' director tried to sabotage role
The actress, during a June 30 appearance on the "Armchair Expert" podcast, told host Dax Shepard she got a positive response to her role as Sloan Sabbith in Season 1 of the HBO news drama. However, in the second season, the directors began getting heavy-handed with their notes for her. She said one director in particular tried to force her to carry the romantic storyline between her character and Thomas Sadoski's character Don Keefer, "but only on my side."
"(He said) 'Can you snuggle up to him or flirt with him, or can you give him a kiss?' And this is in the middle of (my character) working," Munn, 45, said.
Olivia Munn shuts down Aaron Rodgers family rift rumors: 'Nothing to do with me'
In another instance, Sloan finds out Don used the information she gave him for insider trading, leading her to get upset. But the directors told Munn, "I don't think that you're that angry with him. It's kind of funny."
When she put her foot down in another scene, the director told her she was coming off "forceful in strong," which was "what I wanted," Munn said. She recalled walking off, and a producer coming to her afterward because they "heard from the director there's a bit of an issue."
"I'll tell you I was happy with what I did instead because ... people would have been like, 'Oh look at her character. Look how she's playing it.' And they wouldn't even care if I even said it was him. So I just stayed to my convictions," the former "The Daily Show" correspondent said.
Munn said she was going out for a movie role when this feud resurfaced.
"My manager calls me and says, 'Hey, you're going to 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,'" she said. "I lived seven minutes from there. I was never late."
She said she immediately knew who made the claim.
"He just was trying to bash me," Munn. "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."
There were nearly a dozen male directors on the Emmy-winning series, which ended in 2014.
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Los Angeles Times
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- Los Angeles Times
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Chicago Tribune
3 hours ago
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Geek Tyrant
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David Corenswet Would Love To See His Superman in an R-Rated Detective-Style Project Like LANTERNS — GeekTyrant
David Corenswet's Superman may be the bright, boy scout heart of James Gunn's DCU, but that doesn't mean he's chained down to sunbeams and smiles. In a recent interview with Nerdist, the actor behind the Man of Tomorrow opened up about the creative possibilities within Gunn's expansive new universe, and he's ready to stretch Superman beyond traditional boundaries. That includes stepping into grittier, R-rated terrain. Corenswet said: 'One thing that excites me so much about James' vision for the DCU is the different genres and tones that the movies can take on. And I know people are skeptical that certain genres and characters can mix. 'I would love to see this Superman in an R-rated project. In a detective, you know, in a thing like Lanterns, where it's a True Detective feel. I just think it can happen in spite of how bright and playful this version of the character is.' It's an unexpected but intriguing suggestion. So far, Superman has been described as a hopeful and classic interpretation of the hero, Gunn himself has called it a 'heartfelt' and 'sincere' story that leans into the mythic side of superhero fiction. Corenswet's own take has been teased as 'bright and playful.' But now, the actor's openness to putting that version of Superman into something more intense, like HBO's upcoming Lanterns series, might hint at where things are headed. It's also interesting that Corenswet name-dropped Lanterns unprompted. DC Studios has confirmed that the show will follow Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) in a grounded, noir-style mystery inspired by True Detective . But, this is the first time I've heard it teased as an R-rated project. And maybe that crossover comes sooner than expected. Peacemaker Season 2, which is confirmed to be TV-MA, hits HBO Max just a month after Superman lands in theaters. Gunn has already teased a massive cameo toward the end of the season. Could Superman crash the party? Maybe! The threads are already there with Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), both featured in Superman, are set to appear in Peacemaker . The show also includes Rick Flag Sr. ( Frank Grillo ), who has a role in Superman as well. Whether it's a brief stop in Peacemaker or a future appearance in Lanterns , one thing is clear, the DCU most likely won't box Superman into any one tone or genre. Superman hits theaters July 11th. Peacemaker Season 2 premieres August 21st. Lanterns is set to debut sometime in 2026.
