Olivia Munn speaks out about her experiences filming The Newsroom
The 44-year-old actress discussed the situation during an episode of the Armchair Expert podcast, in conversation with host Dax Shepard.
Oilvia, who starred as financial reporter Sloan Sabbith in the Aaron Sorkin–created series from 2012 to 2014, said tensions escalated during the second and third seasons, particularly as her character became romantically involved with Don Keefer, played by Thomas Sadoski, 48.
The star claimed the director repeatedly pressured her to play the romantic arc from Sloan's perspective only.
'The director kept trying to force me to carry that storyline only on my side,' she said – adding: 'I'm in the middle of working and I've got this new Bloomberg machine, and I'm so excited, and he's like, 'Can you look out at him and smile?'
'And I'm like, 'Why? She's busy doing this.' Or, 'Can you stop and snuggle up to him or flirt with him or can you give him a kiss?''
A particularly contentious moment occurred, Olivia said, when her character discovered Don had committed insider trading using confidential information she had shared.
'I was like, 'Are you f****** kidding me? This is insane,'' she recalled.
According to Oilvia, the director disagreed with her interpretation and insisted Sloan should find the situation 'kind of funny'.
The conflict culminated in a standoff during filming.
'There was one scene, and I was like, 'No. I'm not doing (that),'' Olivia said – adding: 'And he said, 'Look, it's my job as a director to see all the different colours of the rainbow and you are looking at only one colour, and I don't think you realise how you're coming off.'
'And I said, 'How am I coming off?' And he said, 'Really forceful and strong.'
'And I said, 'Great. That's what I wanted.' And I walked away.'
Despite intervention from a producer about the visible tension on set, Olivia said she stood her ground.
'I just fought back so much,' she said. 'I'm still happy about that.'
Olivia also alleged the same director later attempted to damage her professional reputation.
She said: 'I was on the one-yard line for a movie role when I got a call from my manager, who said, '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.''
Olivia denied the claims, saying she lived 'seven minutes' from set and 'was never late'.
'He just was trying to bash me,' she said, adding: 'And I told my reps, 'Please tell the directors this.' And then I still got the role.'
Olivia also said the incident has remained with her, adding:. 'Just because of our conflicts of how we approached a role, he wanted to ruin my chances of getting anything else.'
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