Hollywood star Olivia Wilde has warned that social media and the embrace of fame pose an existential threat to filmmaking as a storytelling art.
“A director has to decide at a certain point whether you want to be a celebrity or an artist,” Wilde said during an informal conversation at Saturday’s Red Sea Film Festival. She believes that more and more directors and actors want to have online profiles on TikTok and other digital platforms.
“Because of social media, it’s become more integrated with things that are very dangerous for the art form,” Wilde insists. Her advice to other actors and directors is to avoid getting hung up on fame and its greasy pole.
“When you confuse filmmaking or acting with mass acceptance, you immediately cut off any opportunity to do risky work. So it’s important to me to never focus too much on being accepted or loved.
In an effort to escape the Hollywood bubble, the actress-turned-director told the Red Sea Film event that she remains inspired by films from far-flung countries that are unencumbered by social media and clichés. “I’m very interested in films that come from a society that’s fed the same amount of cliche material,” Wilde said of social media increasingly shaping Hollywood films and TV series.
A dual American and Irish citizen who attended acting school in Dublin, Wilde added that her “real dream” was to film in Ireland. Her Irish ancestry comes from her parents. Her father, Andrew Cockburn, was born in London and raised in Ireland; her mother, Leslie Cockburn, is a journalist. 60 minutes Producers and reporters.
Wilde, who grew up in Washington, D.C., recalls having an editing room in her family’s basement because her parents produced documentaries in addition to print news. “I always wanted to make my own movies, learn how to edit and learn how to write. But for a lot of young women, when we love stories, we’re told you should be an actor. Young boys who say they love movies are told You should be a director,” Wilde recalled.
Seeing his mother carve her own path in the male-dominated media world was Wilde’s professional inspiration growing up. “If you’re not breaking some glass ceilings, then you’re really not trying hard enough,” said at the Red Sea event.
Early on, her love for movies turned into a focus on acting and becoming an actress. The first in her family not to attend college, Wilde moved to Los Angeles when she was 18. “Making movies was impossible. Being an actor felt impossible because you felt the competition. Anyone who actually did it was kind of crazy,” she recalls of her early days in Hollywood.
Her first role included the series skin and girl next door, before recurring on american soap operas olympic committee Includes other credits alpha dog and tourists, She had a breakout role in medical drama house Plays Remy “Thirteen” Hadley.
This gave way to movie roles Tron: Legacy, Alteration, Cowboys & Aliens and timely. In the end, Wilde waited until he was 34 before taking the director’s seat.
The veteran actress makes her feature film directorial debut with this coming-of-age comedy smart book. “The energy of a first-time filmmaker is boundless… It was the most exciting experience because I couldn’t believe I could actually make my own film. I was honored that everyone came to participate,” Wilde recalled. .
She admits that most debut films are not box-office hits; smart book. “I was really lucky. The film was made at the right time and resonated with people. She went on to direct the 2022 thriller don’t worry honeystarring Florence Pugh and Harry Styles.
“I only choose things that are more challenging than what I did last time. Otherwise I get bored.
Wilde still acted, in part because it helped her learn the ropes of directing. “Acting is like espionage to me because I get to see another director on his set. Most directors have never seen another director direct. I get to observe first-hand someone I really respect,” she said.
Wilde emphasized that her main goal is to make more films as an art form. “I don’t make movies so people will like them. I want people to enjoy them. But I think it’s a losing game if you want to make movies that everyone will enjoy,” she warns. “Success is about creating something that lives up to your idea, as a true extension of who you are, not whether people recognize it or not.”
