Latest news with #TheRoyalTenenbaums'
Buzz Feed
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Gene Hackman Hated Making The Royal Tenenbaums
Earlier this year, legendary actor Gene Hackman passed away alongside his wife Betsy Arakawa in the couple's Santa Fe home. Gene was a larger-than-life talent, so it's not surprising that we're still hearing new stories from those who worked with him. The latest comes from director Wes Anderson, whose new film The Phoenician Scheme just premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. As you probably know, Gene was effectively the lead in Wes' 2001 classic The Royal Tenenbaums, playing Royal Tenenbaum. His performance was critically acclaimed, garnering a Golden Globe win for his efforts. Gene, who was fairly private as a celebrity and effectively retired from acting in 2004, also didn't show up to collect the award itself — and according to a new Sunday Times interview with Wes, he very much wasn't a fan of making the film either. 'Gene was very annoyed about the money,' Wes said in the interview, gesturing towards the flat pay rate that The Royal Tenenbaums' cast received across the board. 'He was furious. Also, he didn't want to do the film anyway." Wes went on to claim that he had to basically convince Gene to be in the film — and that he "wouldn't go away" until the storied actor said yes. "And everybody else said yes to the salary, so Gene just went with it — and that just became our way," he explained. Wes also said that Gene said "not a word" to him when they were finished filming. 'In fact he left without saying goodbye," he claimed. "He was grumpy — we had friction. He didn't enjoy it. I was probably too young and it was annoying to him.' In fact, the last conversation the two had — according to Wes, at least — was when The Royal Tenenbaums opened in theaters. "He liked it,' Wes recalled. 'But he told me he didn't understand it when we were shooting. I wish I'd shown him 10 minutes, early on. Then, maybe, he would have said, 'OK, I get it.'' The more you know about the movies you love! You can read the entire interview with Wes right here.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Wes Anderson Says Gene Hackman Was ‘Furious' Over ‘Royal Tenenbaums' Pay and ‘Left Without Saying Goodbye'; They Never Spoke After Film's Release: ‘We Had Friction'
Wes Anderson spoke to The Sunday Times about the infamous set tension that existed on the set of 2001's 'The Royal Tenenbaums' due to Gene Hackman, who passed away in April. Bill Murray spoke to the Associated Press in the wake of Hackman's death and said 'he was really difficult' on set. 'Gene was very annoyed about the money,' Anderson now revealed. 'He was furious. Also, he didn't want to do the film anyway. I talked him into it — I just didn't go away. And everybody else said yes to the salary, so Gene just went with it — and that just became our way.' More from Variety Michael Cera on Finally Working With Wes Anderson and His 'Phoenician Scheme' Character's 'Very Silly' Accent: 'It Took All of Us a Minute to Feel Normal About It' Studio Babelsberg Nabs New 'Hunger Games' Prequel, Latest Schlöndorff Pic While Celebrating Wes Anderson's Cannes Premiere Scarlett Johansson Was Offered 'Sex Object' Roles 'For Years' After 'Lost in Translation,' Says Bill Murray Was in a 'Hard Place' on Set: 'Life Has Humbled Him' Now Hackman played the family patriarch, Royal O'Reilly Tenenbaum, in the 2001 comedy-drama. Anderson was 32 years old at the time of the film's release, and it was only his third directorial effort. The supporting cast included Murray, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Luke Wilson, Angelica Huston and more. Anderson said he did not stay in touch with Hackman after the film's release. 'Not a word,' the director stressed. 'In fact he left without saying goodbye. He was grumpy — we had friction. He didn't enjoy it. I was probably too young and it was annoying to him.' According to the filmmaker, his last conversation with Hackman was as the movie was opening. 'And he liked it,' Anderson said. 'But he told me he didn't understand it when we were shooting. I wish I'd shown him 10 minutes, early on. Then, maybe, he would have said, 'OK, I get it.'' Murray elaborated on the set tension between Anderson and Hackman during an appearance on 'The Drew Barrymore Show' after Hackman's death. 'I sympathize with Gene because to him, Wes Anderson was just a punk kid and Gene's made some of the greatest American movies. So he was a little irritable,' Murray said. 'But he had to work with children, dogs, Kumar [Pallana, who played valet Pagoda], who was like an absolute mystery to all of us anyway. They put him in very challenging positions to work, and so he just felt a lot of responsibility and kept thinking, 'What am I doing here with these people?' But the performance he gives is brilliant. And I watched him, and I suffered with him because I saw what he was going through.' Anderson's latest movie is 'The Phoenician Scheme,' in which Murray has a small supporting role. The movie is world premiering at the Cannes Film Festival and opening in theaters May 30 from Focus Features. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jennifer Coolidge on Why Working With Bill Murray Was ‘Scary As Hell,' Recalls Pete Davidson Being a ‘Laugh Riot'
Jennifer Coolidge isn't being shy about how acting alongside Bill Murray for the first time was 'scary as hell.' Coolidge may not be in the latest season of 'The White Lotus' following Tanya's death in Season 2, but ahead of the release of 'A Minecraft Movie,' she's back in a murder-related story with 'Riff Raff,' marking the first time she's worked with veteran actors Ed Harris and Murray. More from Variety Bill Murray 'Wept Three Times' During 'SNL50': 'It Was Surprisingly Emotional' and 'I Couldn't Stop' Bill Murray Slams John Belushi Biography as 'Criminal' and 'Cruel'; Calls Out Author Bob Woodward: 'If He Did This to Belushi, What He Did to Nixon Is Probably Soiled For Me' Bill Murray Recalls 'Tough Nut' Gene Hackman Being 'Really Rough' on Wes Anderson on 'The Royal Tenenbaums' Set: 'I Sympathize' Because 'To Him, Wes Was Just a Punk Kid' In the darkly comedic film that follows an awkward, crime-ridden family reunion, Coolidge plays the hilarious Ruth, who unexpectedly reconnects with her former criminal ex-husband Vincent (played by Harris). Out of the entire cast, Coolidge was most surprised by Murray's turn as the violent Leftie. 'I've never seen Bill go that dark,' Coolidge tells Variety. 'Obviously, he has so much to offer that he can pull off playing this extremely dark, messed up person. Weirdly, it was scary but I couldn't stop laughing, I was even ruining some of the takes. He's weird and titillating at the same time. It's unusual.' While the film's cast is filled with veterans who have worked in film for decades, it also features actors like Pete Davidson, who continues to build his resume on screen. Coolidge says that Davidson was a 'laugh riot' on set and recalls the memorable time he braved the snowy weather. 'One day, we were in this house at the top of a very snowy hill in New Jersey,' Coolidge says. 'It was freezing, in the middle of nowhere, but I look out the window and I see this Rolls-Royce coming up the hill. I'm like, 'First of all, how can they be going up the hill without sliding backwards?' They're such heavy cars. And then I looked and saw Pete behind the wheel. He's always doing his own thing.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Oscars 2026: First Blind Predictions Including Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, 'Wicked: For Good' and More What's Coming to Disney+ in March 2025
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gene Hackman's nephew warns against speculation about Hollywood legend's death
Gene Hackman's nephew doesn't want to fuel "negative theories" surrounding the Hollywood legend's death. The 95-year-old actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 65, were found dead in their Santa Fe home last week but his nephew Tim Hackman has stressed that his loved ones don't want to "speculate" on what caused the mysterious tragedy, which has been described as "suspicious" by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office. Tim told Us Weekly: "We're waiting on toxicology. That will tell us everything. It's hard to theorise. There are lots of theories out there and I don't want to speculate. It's easy to speculate negative theories." He added: "The family wants to keep it positive for now and when we know the truth we will deal with it." Tim revealed that the description of 'The Royal Tenenbaums' actor and his wife's mummified bodies - as well as that of their dog Zinna - have left the family with lots of unanswered questions. He said: "My uncle was 95 years old at an age where you think about, 'Okay, it's time'. But from the circumstances now things have changed a bit. It's a major change." Tim explained that the Oscar-winning star was "like any other family member", although he was left in awe by his uncle's successful career in the movies. He said: "For me personally, it's something I would find strange because I was a fan and a nephew. There were moments of, 'Wow, Gene Hackman is in front of me'." It has emerged that Gene's death was not likely to have been as a result of gas poisoning. The New Mexico Gas Company confirmed via a statement from officials to that "there were no significant findings" of gas leaks or carbon monoxide in the home. However, the authorities did confirm that five "red tags" had been issued, including one "minor leak" from a stove with a reading of "0.03 per cent gas in the air". The statement added: "The other four red tags were for code enforcement violations - not involving gas leaks or carbon monoxide - involving a water heater and gas log lighters installed in three fireplaces." Investigators have suggested that it could take weeks to determine the cause of the pair's deaths.
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bill Murray Slams John Belushi Biography as ‘Criminal' and ‘Cruel'; Calls Out Author Bob Woodward: ‘If He Did This to Belushi, What He Did to Nixon Is Probably Soiled For Me'
Bill Murray is coming to the defense of his long-time friend and fellow SNL alum John Belushi. During a recent appearance on 'The Joe Rogan Experience,' Murray slammed journalist Bob Woodward for his portrayal of Belushi in his 1984 biography 'Wired,' which chronicled the life and career of 'The Blues Brothers' star. Murray called Woodward's take on Belushi 'completely inaccurate,' and suspects his sources were pulled from 'the outer, outer circle' of people that knew him. More from Variety Bill Murray Recalls 'Tough Nut' Gene Hackman Being 'Really Rough' on Wes Anderson on 'The Royal Tenenbaums' Set: 'I Sympathize' Because 'To Him, Wes Was Just a Punk Kid' 'SNL50' Weekend Update: Bill Murray Roasts the Show's White Anchors, Bobby Moynihan's Drunk Uncle Yells 'Not My Captain America' Over Anthony Mackie Bill Murray Reprises 'Nick the Lounge Singer' With Maya Rudolph, Cecily Strong and Ana Gasteyer for 'SNL50' 'If he did this to Belushi, what he did to Nixon is probably soiled for me too. I can't take it,' Murray said. 'You could have two sources and everything like that, but the two sources that he had, if he had them for the 'Wired' book, were so far outside the inner circle that it was criminal, cruel.' Murray suspects that Woodward's takedown may have been motivated by jealousy. He pointed out that Woodward is only 'the third most famous person from Wheaton, Ill' behind professional football player Red Grange and Belushi. 'Belushi made people's careers possible. Mine would be one of them,' Murray said. 'There's a lot of people that slept on John Belushi's couch. There's a lot of people that stayed for free at his house until they made it in New York. And I'm one. He died in an unfortunate way, but man, he was still the best stage actor I ever saw.' Murray went on to explain that he was asked to contribute to the book, but from the very beginning thought the project 'smelled funny' and refused to help. 'I didn't want to have anything to do with it,' Murray said. 'It went exactly where I thought it was going. Even worse than I thought it was going. Just the title alone, it was cold.' Best of Variety What's Coming to Disney+ in March 2025 What's Coming to Netflix in March 2025 New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
