Olivia Munn Details On-Set Dispute with Male Co-Star

During a recent appearance on “The Drew Barrymore Show,” actress Olivia Munn revealed a frustrating experience from a past film set. Munn recounted how a male co-star vehemently objected to being portrayed as needing rescue by her character, leading to a significant production delay.

Munn explained that the scene involved both actors fighting side-by-side in a bunker, with her character – often depicted as a capable professional like a CIA agent or police officer – positioned to save her co-star from an attacker. “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 [who] was gonna shoot him in the back, so I shoot him,” she recalled. However, the co-star apparently hadn’t fully grasped the narrative.

“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,’” Munn stated. This unexpected resistance brought filming to a standstill.

A 45-Minute Standoff

According to Munn, the co-star engaged in a lengthy and heated discussion with the director, openly expressing his discomfort with the storyline. “He had no insecurity about being obnoxious and everyone hearing this and being like, ‘She can’t save me! We’re not doing this,’” Munn shared. The production was halted for a full 45 minutes while the issue was debated.

Ultimately, Munn proposed a compromise. “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 suggested. The co-star reluctantly agreed, allowing filming to resume.

A Pattern of On-Set Challenges

This incident isn’t isolated. Munn previously discussed another challenging on-set experience during an episode of Dax Shepherd’s “Armchair Expert” podcast. She revealed that a director from HBO’s “The Newsroom” attempted to sabotage her chances of landing a film role by falsely portraying her as “really combative” and frequently late to set.

“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 recounted. Despite the false accusations, she ultimately secured the role, but the experience left a lasting impression.

These stories highlight the ongoing challenges faced by women in the entertainment industry and the subtle (and not-so-subtle) power dynamics that can play out on set. The Guardian has also reported on Munn’s experiences with bullying on set.