Olivia Munn is getting candid about her experience working with a difficult male co-star on a past project.
During a recent appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, the actress recalled an unnamed actor refusing to film a scene in which her female character saved his.
“There have been a few times where I’ve been filming something — and my character was either like CIA, or a cop, or something — and there’s been scenes where my character has been the one to save the other character,” Munn explained.
In this specific instance, the Your Friends & Neighbors star said they were filming a gunfight scene in an underground bunker.
“If you read the script, it was that he was guarding his side, I was guarding my side, then we switch sides and then there’s a guy that was coming for him — was gonna shoot him in the back — so I shoot him,” Munn recounted. “And then we’re about to shoot and, somehow, I guess he didn’t read the script and in that moment, he realized, ‘Wait, wait, wait. Hold on. She can’t save me. No, no. She can’t save me.’”
That’s when her co-star paused production and even got “combative with the director” over the scene. When reflecting on the incident and his behavior, she added, “There was no insecurity about being obnoxious and everyone hearing this and being like, ‘She can’t save me! We’re not doing this.’”
After nearly an hour of back and forth, the X-Men: Apocalypse actress decided to interject with an idea.
“Finally, after like 45 minutes of just stopping down, I said, ‘OK, how about instead of my character saving you, it’s just that we switch because it’s time for us to switch and so this is my guy to get,’” she said. “And he was like, ‘OK.’”
However, Munn admitted to host Drew Barrymore‘s audience, drawing laughter and cheers from them, “Now here’s the interesting thing: nothing changed. It’s just what he thought. I was doing the exact same thing.”
The actress has previously opened up about other negative experiences she’s had with men in Hollywood. Last year, Munn recalled a visiting Newsroom director giving her bad notes, which she didn’t take, and she later found out that he bad-mouthed her to keep her from getting another job. She still booked the role.
During a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Munn opened up about what she’s learned from that experience and trying to stand up for herself in the industry.
“It’s playing the game a bit more,” she said. “And I should be able to speak up for myself and I should be able to draw the line, but we cannot. I can’t change the world and I cannot change how women have been portrayed and received for however long we’ve been on earth. So I’ve realized that I’m going to handle this situation in a way that is going to be the best outcome for me.”
Munn added, “I used to see so many other actors do it, and I’d think, ‘Why are you not taking the note? I can’t believe you’re being so indignant.’ Then I realized it’s a way to protect your art and your choices with a character. I hope I have helped more actresses learn this.”
