As a supporter who has been in the entertainment industry for quite some time, I can empathize with Whitney Cummings‘ distressing audition experience for Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis. It’s not often that one encounters a director who seems more interested in their own ego than the artistic process, and it appears that was the case here.
The tale of Francis Ford Coppola’s blockbuster flop, Megalopolis, persists, with comedian Whitney Cummings recently sharing her account of an audition for the movie that left her feeling embarrassed. Released in September, Coppola’s science fiction drama earned a mere $13.9 million at the box office despite a budget exceeding $130 million, a significant portion of which was shouldered by the director himself.
On her Good For You podcast, Cummings discussed the audition process she experienced for Megalopolis, which Coppola requested her involvement in. “That was a deeply distressing experience for me,” she started off, then went on to explain that she spent three hours getting ready with hair and makeup. It was after this point when things became quite peculiar.
As a cinephile, I can’t help but recall an experience that still gives me chills. Walking into that audition room, it wasn’t the usual bustle of greetings and small talk; instead, there was an eerie silence that hung heavy in the air. Coppola, without a word, waved me in. I tried to break the ice with a casual question about where we’d start, but he shook his head, saying, “No, no, no, we’re not doing the scene today.” And there I stood, left wondering what was next.
“She added, ‘He’d hurl items at me, for instance, ‘In a British tone, bid farewell to your son off to war,’ I assure you this isn’t an exaggeration.’ Her narrative aligns with other accounts from actors in the film who claim they were encouraged to improvise spontaneously rather than strictly following prewritten scripts.
In a different wording: “I appeared on the show Punk’d, and when it happened, I felt like if it was a prank, the idea was brilliantly clever. I somehow detached myself from the entire experience. It was as though I was watching someone else perform, and then he said, ‘That was amazing.’ I’m still puzzled by how I reacted so detached because I can’t recall being present at all.
Whitney Cummings Got the Most Egotistical Parting Gifts
After jamming for a while with Coppola himself, which was quite an unique encounter given he’s not typically known for improvisation, Cummings admitted she was on the brink of tears due to the mortification she felt from having to perform these odd tasks in front of casting directors. In the end, she also mentioned that Coppola parted ways with her some of the most arrogant souvenirs.
“I stepped outside, and he handed me an autographed version of his latest book. He personally signed it for me, as if I had arrived at a signing event, almost as if I had asked for it. ‘Thank you,’ I said, feeling a bit overwhelmed, and then he presented me with a bottle of Francis Ford Coppola wine, casually saying, ‘This might come in handy.’
Cummings closed out her story by calling the whole experience “humiliating,” and also hinting at the fact she dodged a bullet by not appearing in the failed production. Considering its 46% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics, and 35% from the audience, we tend to agree with her. You can check out Coppola’s epic disaster for yourself as Megalopolis is now available on all VOD platforms.
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2024-12-18 00:01