*TRIGGER WARNING*
Did you know that Shia LaBeouf was originally cast as Jack alongside Florence Pugh's Alice in Don't Worry, Darling before Harry Styles contributed his endearing personality to the film? Director and actor of Don't Worry, Darling, Olivia Wilde, opened up in a Variety interview about the dramatic sacking of Shia LaBeouf from her eagerly anticipated film. Olivia and Florence first worked together to locate their Jack…
...and now it turns out that Harry Styles was the first choice for Don't Worry Darling with One Direction member Harry Styles' Hollywood debut picture Dunkirk garnered praise from Olivia Wilde, who expressed her admiration for the actor: "An absolute dream and went above and beyond in terms of being prepared." - however, the 28-year-old Grammy-winning singer was busy touring at that point. Shia LaBeouf was therefore given the role instead! However, Olivia took the choice to terminate the 36-year-old actor in 2020 as Don't Worry Darling production got underway, claiming scheduling issues. Talking about the reason behind firing LaBeouf, Wilde explained, "I say this as someone who is such an admirer of his work. His process was not conducive to the ethos that I demand in my productions."
Elaborating on Shia LaBeouf's process, Olivia Wilde elaborated how a "combative energy" energy is required for it which the 38-year-old actress and filmmaker doesn't believe is "conducive to the best performances." At the forefront, for Olivia, safety is of utmost importance: "I believe that creating a safe, trusting environment is the best way to get people to do their best work. Ultimately, my responsibility is to the production and to the cast to protect them. That was my job."
A few months after leaving Don't Worry Darling, Shia LaBeouf was accused of sexual battery by his ex-girlfriend and Honey Boy co-star FKA Twigs. The case went to trial in April. LaBeouf left his agency CAA a month later and checked himself into a hospital.
Talking about how "a lot came to light" about Shia LaBeouf, after his firing from Don't Worry Darling, which "really troubled" her "in terms of his behaviour," Olivia Wilde admitted that she just finds herself wishing the actor "health and evolution" because she believes in "in restorative justice." However, coming back to making her set feel safe, especially for Florence Pugh, Wilde concluded, "But for our film, what we really needed was an energy that was incredibly supportive. Particularly with a movie like this, I knew that I was going to be asking Florence to be in very vulnerable situations, and my priority was making her feel safe and making her feel supported."
With the COVID-19 hitting hard, Harry Styles' tour was cancelled and with a schedule suddenly free, the rest is history: "We found the perfect Jack, and luckily, it's kind of magical that it ended up being our first choice."
Meanwhile, Don't Worry Darling releases on September 23.
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