Michael Shannon Says Alexander Payne and Woody Allen ‘Weren’t Very Nice’
Tom Ford’s latest film “Nocturnal Animals” recently screened at the Toronto International Film Festival to positive critical acclaim. As promotion for the film, star Michael Shannon gave an interview with Vanity Fair and, among other topics, discussed his interactions with directors he doesn’t like, including Alexander Payne and Woody Allen. Watch the full interview below, courtesy of Vanity Fair.
When asked if he auditions for roles anymore, Shannon says that he hadn’t auditioned in a while, but the last person he auditioned for was Payne, “because he’s Alexander Payne, so he gets to do that,” and admits that he “didn’t really like him very much. He should’ve cast me and he didn’t. He just wasn’t very nice.”
“Woody Allen’s not nice, either,” Shannon continued. “I auditioned for some play he wrote in New York once. He doesn’t even look at you.”
READ MORE: Michael Shannon Speaks Out Against Indie Actors Working for Free
In the interview, Shannon also discussed how he doesn’t use an acting coach since he bombed an audition for Cameron Crowe’s “Almost Famous” after seeing one, saying “it was the most terrible audition I’ve ever given in my life.” He also talked about filming “Nocturnal Animals,” his rocky career beginnings, and how he was “dirt broke right before ‘Revolutionary Road,'” for which he was nominated for an Oscar.
“Nocturnal Animals” had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival where it won the Grand Jury Prize. It’s scheduled to be released on November 18th from Focus Features.
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