Before Harry Styles brought upon his charming persona to Don’t Worry Darling, did you know it was Shia LaBeouf, who was first cast as Jack opposite Florence Pugh’s Alice? In an interview with Variety, Don’t Worry Darling director and star Olivia Wilde spoke candidly about the infamous firing of Shia LaBeouf from her highly-awaited movie. Initially, Olivia and Florence teamed up to find their Jack…
…and Harry Styles was the first choice for Don’t Worry Darling with Olivia Wilde having liked the One Direction member’s work in his Hollywood debut movie Dunkirk – Producers of the Christopher Nolan film had gushed about Styles to Wilde: “An absolute dream, and went above and beyond in terms of being prepared.” – but the 28-year-old Grammy-winning singer was busy touring at that point. Hence, Shia LaBeouf got the part instead! However, in 2020 when production for Don’t Worry Darling was starting, Olivia made the decision to fire the 36-year-old actor, with the studio citing scheduling conflicts. 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.”
It was a few months after his Don’t Worry Darling exit that Shia LaBeouf was sued by ex-girlfriend and Honey Boy co-star FKA Twigs for sexual battery, with the lawsuit going to trial in April. A month later, LaBeouf parted ways with his agency CAA and entered an inpatient facility.
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 behavior,” 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.”
Are you excited to see Harry Styles and Florence Pugh’s tantalising chemistry in Don’t Worry Darling? Share your excitement with Maryali Magazine in the comments section below.
