Actor quits Christian Bale, Nicolas Cage's Madden biopic over 'uncomfortable' nude scene, N-word use; studio clarifies
A new report claims that an actor part of David O Russell's upcoming biopic of American football coach John Madden has left the film after being irked by the director's alleged 'unprofessional' behaviour. The film, titled Madden, stars Nicolas Cage in the titular role, alongside Christian Bale.
TMZ quoted crew and cast members from the film saying that when the unnamed actor was working a scene with director Russell last Friday, the filmmaker used the N-word (an offensive slang for black people) in an impromptu monologue. This allegedly upset the actor, along with a few others, who walked off the set. No filming was done after that. The report also quoted crew members saying that the same actor was uncomfortable with filming a nude scene in the film. This angered Russell, whose behaviour was described as 'unprofessional'.
However, the outlet then cites studio sources clarifying the situation, saying that using the N-word was not Russell's but the actor's own idea. The source also added that the word was eventually not used in the scene. It is unclear what upset the actor and others if Russell never used the N-word in his monologue. Studio sources also added that 'nudity was not sprung on anyone' and the actor was approached by an intimacy coordinator to suggest a different approach for the scene, but the performer still had an issue. Studio sources said that director David O Russell's reaction was calm.
Madden stars Nicolas Cage as John Madden, American football legend and a Hall of Fame coach. Christian Bale stars alongside as Al Davis, Madden's senior and also a popular coach. The film also features John Mulaney, Kathryn Hahn, Sienna Miller, and Shane Gillis. Filming began last month. No release date has been announced for Madden yet.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
Rachel Zoe joins the cast of 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills'; the fashion designer confirmed the rumours: "I am beyond excited to be returning home..."
Rachel Zoe , the American fashion designer, is joining the famous television series, 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills ' as a full-time housewife, making the world even more stylish and glamorous with her charm. Rachel Zoe is joining 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' According to US Weekly , Zoe confirmed the rumours and said, 'I am beyond excited to be returning home to Bravo to join the cast of the 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills!'' She further added, 'I've been living my best, new life, and it felt like the perfect time to come back to TV and share it all with you. Here we go … RZ 2.0!' The 53-year-old shared her fabulous time with Bravo's 'The Rachel Zoe Project ' from 2008 to 2013, and now she's returning home. Zoe took to Instagram to announce the collaboration and celebrate the news over the weekend. The celebrity wardrobe stylist posted a photo of herself with the text that read, 'The Rumors Are True…' Rachel Zoe shared a post... Furthermore, in the post, she shared her official announcement where she donned a white fur coat with golden details, a pair of golden earrings, with her blonde hair, and said, 'It's official, I am coming back to Bravo.' 'It's been a while, and you've been asking me to come back to television,' she continued, before adding, 'And I said when the stars align, or it makes sense, or I have enough to say to share with all of you — and now is the time.' Concluding the note, Rachel said that she's really excited to be with 'all of you again, and I hope you are too, so let's have some fun!' Many Instagram users shared their best wishes and congratulated her for being an awesome addition to the reality TV show. While some even expressed that this was the best thing they had heard this week.
New Indian Express
30 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Paramasivan Fathima Movie Review: This predictable film is ideologically inept and clumsily crafted
Generally, filmmakers find it easy to dish out social issues if their films are set in a fictional world. This helps you stay away from offending any powerful person, organisation or community. It also creates a space for uninhibited discussions. But filmmaker Esakki Karvannan is disingenuous with things he presents as issues and lacks honesty in exploring them fully. Paramasivan Fathima introduces the fictional world of Subramaniyapuram and the towns split from it, namely Yokobpuram (predominantly Christian) and Sultanpettai (predominantly Muslim). The film begins with the narration that the rampant conversions are the reason for the split, and prospective grooms from both these towns die a day before their D-day. In parallel, we get glimpses of Paramasivan (Vemal) and Fathima/Tamilselvi (Chayadevi), teasing us with what could have happened to them even though the familiar stench of honour killing is discernible from a mile away. However, the film chooses to take a tiring 140 minutes to uninspiringly tell us the relation between the deaths and conversions. Putting itself on a high pedestal, the film claims to impart some noble message, but is off the target right from the beginning. It reeks of contrivance, especially with no villager in this film having anything to do except be bothered by religion. It could be said that communal flare-ups in Tamil Nadu are few and far in between when compared to cases of caste discrimination. However, the absence of an engaging fictional story cannot be blamed on the social fabric of the state. The film should have ideally explored how bigotry comes in the way of religious harmony in the 21st century rather than creating a fictional world filled with people, who seem to be straight out of the Middle Ages. The film also trivialises hunger and unemployment through Hindu characters coercing others in their community to not convert for "food and jobs" as though they aren't important enough for sustenance. The question is, what kind of pride should one take in a religion where one follower does not take care of another? Why will anyone not be grateful to someone from some other faith, who has taken it upon themselves to provide sustenance to live a dignified life? Also, it is important to note that the act of service done with an ulterior motive of converting more people to their religion cannot be brought under the umbrella term of 'service.' It is but a transactional relationship. Can an apathetic person judge when someone from his 'brethren' converts to another religion after receiving certain favours from them? No. Some scenes and dialogues reflect the 'rice-bag convert' condescension in social media, but this anger would have been better justified if it was targeted at those depriving the starving people of their 'rice bag'. 20th-century American psychologist Abraham Maslow would have created a five-tier needs hierarchy that treats physiological and safety needs as having paramount importance for a bare minimum decent life. Food and material requirements aren't nothing. I am duty-bound to remind such self-righteous people that the miracle stories of Lord Krishna filling his impoverished friend Kuselan's house with riches just for a morsel of puffed rice and Lord Jesus multiplying five bread loaves and two fishes to feed 5000 people are being taught to their respective followers even to this day to praise God's glory, generosity and magnanimity.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Watch: American workers gets a tasty surprise from Indian homeowner
Credit: Instagram/@sealcoatinguys When people migrate to new places, they don't just carry suitcases—they carry their culture, habits, and food with them. These everyday pieces of home quietly blend into new surroundings, creating moments of connection that transcend borders. A recent video from Minnesota is a perfect example—where an Indian woman's warm gesture of offering vada and chutney brought smiles to an unsuspecting group of American workers. The surprise came for a team of American construction workers from The Sealcoating Guys , an asphalt company, while they were busy working outside a home. Out walked the homeowner, an Indian woman dressed simply in her nightwear with a dupatta casually thrown over her shoulders—carrying two plates piled with freshly made vada and coconut chutney. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ColorsTV (@colorstv) The crew's reaction was pure joy. 'Thank you so much,' they said, smiling widely as she handed them the plates. One curious worker asked what the dish was. 'Vada,' she replied, pausing before adding with a smile, 'Like a donut—but not sweet. Spicy only.' The men dove in, savoring every bite. 'Fire,' one of them exclaimed in appreciation, clearly enjoying the crispy, spicy treat. The video, shared by the company on Instagram, quickly went viral—not just because of the food, but because of the gesture. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The video has about 13.6 million views and thousands of comments. Credit: Instagram/@sealcoatinguys One user commented, 'This is the beautiful culture of India. Atithi Devo Bhava (The guest is equivalent to God).' Another wrote, 'In India, during housework or any type of home work, workers get a free midday meal with water and snacks.' A third user explained what Vada is. They explained, 'That's Vada with spicy coconut chutney. It's one of the famous everyday evening snack here in my state, Tamil Nadu. There are some varieties of vada, but the one you had is the famous one called Ulunthu vada, crispy outside, soft inside,' another person explained.'
