Olivia Munn reveals male co-star refused scene where her character saves him, halting filming

Actress Olivia Munn has said a male co-star once halted production after refusing to film a scene in which her character saved his, according to comments made on The Drew Barrymore Show.

Speaking on the programme, Munn described filming a bunker fight sequence for an unnamed project in which both characters were defending positions before switching roles. The script required her character to intervene and prevent her co-star from being shot.

“If you read the script, it was that he was guarding his side, I was guarding my side, then we switch sides and then there’s a guy that was coming for him [who] was gonna shoot him in the back, so I shoot him,” she said.

Munn explained that the issue arose shortly before filming began. “And then we’re about to shoot and, somehow, I guess he didn’t read the script, and in that moment, he realized, ‘Wait, wait, wait. Hold on. She can’t save me. No, no. She can’t save me.’”

According to Munn, the actor objected strongly and confronted the director in front of the crew. “He became combative with the director,” she said, adding that he had “no insecurity about being obnoxious and everyone hearing this and being like, ‘She can’t save me! We’re not doing this.’”

The dispute reportedly delayed production for around 45 minutes before a compromise was reached. “Finally, after like 45 minutes of just stopping down, I said, ‘OK, how about instead of my character saving you, it’s just that we switch because it’s time for us to switch and so this is my guy to get,’” she said.

Munn noted the adjustment did not materially alter the scene. “Now here’s the interesting thing. Nothing changed. It’s just what he thought. I was doing the exact same thing.”

She has previously spoken about challenges on set, including disputes during her time on The Newsroom.