Terry Gilliam revealed that he was initially reluctant to play Bruce Willis in his classic sci-fi film 12 Monkeys – because he did not like the ‘rectal’ mouth of the actor.
The former Monty Python star (80) played Willis (65) as the main character James Cole in the futuristic film of 1995, about a prisoner who was sent back in time to stop a virus that had wiped out all of humanity decades before.
And although the film received praise and was a hit at the box office, Gilliam admitted that it took him a while to warm up to the idea of Willis in the role.
Reluctant: Terry Gilliam has revealed that he was initially reluctant to play Bruce Willis in his classic sci-fi film 12 Monkeys, because he did not like the ‘rectal’ mouth of the actor
He told Inverse, ‘I’ve never been a big fan of Bruce before, but I liked talking to him, and I thought,’ OK, this guy is smart; he is funny.
‘I worried him about my concerns about him as an actor. I hated the Trump mouth he does in movies. Rectal. It’s like I’m looking at someone who’s a ** hole. ‘
During the interview, Gilliam also revealed that people like Tom Cruise and Nicolas Cage were also nominated – and rejected – for the trailer.
He recalls: ‘It was at a time when I was still a hot director, so people wanted to come close to me and touch me. So they came up with all these names. And I just kept saying no. Tom Cruise, Nic Cage, they’re all thrown at me. ‘
Role: Bruce Willis plays James Cole in the futuristic 1995 film, about a prisoner who was sent back in time to stop a virus that wiped out all of humanity decades before.
Gilliam’s interview comes exactly one after he uttered the political correctness in Hollywood and said that he ‘as a white man is tired of getting the blame for everything’ and that Harvey Weinstein’s victims were ‘adults who made choices’ .
The filmmaker also reiterated criticism of the #MeToo movement, calling it a ‘witch hunt’ that victimized ‘many people, decent people’.
“Yeah, I said #MeToo is a witch hunt,” the director told The Independent last year. ‘I really feel like there were a lot of people, decent people or slightly annoying people who were hammered. This is wrong.
“I do not like the mob mentality. This [women who came forward with claims] were ambitious adults. ‘
Co-star: He appeared with Brad Pitt in the film, which was a critical and box office hit
Weinstein is the powerful film mogul who was first accused of sexual misconduct by actress Ashley Judd in October 2017.
Judd is quoted as saying by The New York Times, which has investigated numerous other claims against Weinstein that span decades.
The groundbreaking report opened the floodgates when dozens more women came forward with allegations of a group of crimes committed by Weinstein, including harassment, assault and rape.
Alyssa Milano, the actress of the hit show Charmed, has invited other women who have been harassed or assaulted to share their stories on Twitter with the hashtag #MeToo – which is igniting the viral phenomenon.
Weinstein’s revelations have inspired other women to come forward with claims against powerful men in various industries, including Hollywood, the media, music, sports, politics and academia.
Award-winning performance: Pitt was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance, for which he won a Golden Globe
Weinstein, 68, pleaded not guilty to charges by prosecutors in New York who allegedly sexually assaulted two women – one in 2006 and another in 2013.
He was subsequently convicted in February 2020 of two of five crimes and sentenced to 23 years in prison.
However, Gilliam said in an interview published a month before the magistrate’s conviction that Weinstein’s victims had some responsibility for what happened to them.
“There are a lot of victims in Harvey’s life and I feel sympathy for them, but then Hollywood is full of very ambitious people who are adults and they make choices,” Gilliam said.
“We all make choices, and I could tell you who made the choice and who didn’t.”
Clap: Gilliam previously downplayed the #MeToo movement and described it as a ‘witch hunt’
He recalled having a negative experience working with Weinstein, saying, ‘I hate Harvey. I had to work with him and I know the abuse, but I do not want people to say it all [are abusive]. ‘
Gilliam said two producers were women when he directed the 1991 film The Fisher King. One was a really good producer, and the other a neurotic b *** h. It’s not about their sex. It was about the position of power and how people use it. ‘
Gilliam then said he had recently spoken to a well-known actor. The topic of conversation was #MeToo.
“She told her story to be in the room and speak out,” he said. “She says, ‘I can tell you all the girls who did not, and I know who they are and I know the bumps in their careers. ‘The point is, you’re making choices. ‘
Gilliam continues: ‘I can tell you about a very famous actress who comes to me and says,’ What do I have to do to get into your movie, Terry? ‘
Classic: The British-American filmmaker directed Monty Python and the Holy Grail and wrote the screenplay for Monty Python’s Life of Brian
‘I do not understand why people act as if it has not been going on for as long as there have been powerful people.
“I understand that men have had power for longer, but I am tired of blaming everything that is wrong in the world as a white man.”
Gilliam then reportedly stopped his hands and exclaimed, “I did not do that!”
The Independent author pushed back, saying that all white men are not to blame but automatically get privileges that others are not.
Gilliam replies, ‘It’s so simple I do not like. When I announce that I’m a black lesbian in transition, people take offense at it. Why? ‘
Gilliam then said, ‘I do not like the term black or white. I now refer to myself as a melanin-light male. I cannot stand the simplistic, tribalistic behavior we are currently going through. ‘
Gilliam then tries to clear up and says, ‘I’m talking about becoming a man who is accused of all the wrong things in the world because I’m white in color. So I do not have to be a man.
‘I’d rather not be white. OK, since I do not find men sexually attractive, I should be a lesbian. What else can I be? I like girls. These are just logical steps. ‘
Controversial: Gilliam is seen right with Harvey Weinstein at the Venice Film Festival in 2005. Gilliam said Weinstein’s victims were ‘adults who made choices’.