When a movie wraps up, people often want to know the director’s thoughts on working with the cast. Directors typically have positive things to say and anecdotes to share about their actors.
However, it seems different for the director of Begin Again. John Carney directed the musical comedy-drama, Begin Again in 2013, which had Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo in the lead roles. So, when he was asked about Keira Knightley’s performance in an interview, he bashed Knightley’s talent, which landed him in hot water.
John Carney slams Keira Knightley
In 2016, John Carney’s telephonic interview with the Independent about his movie caused a stir with what he said. While talking about his film Begin Again, the Irish director slammed Knightley’s work. He said,
“I’ll never make a film with supermodels again.”
He further said, “I think the real problem was that Keira wasn’t a singer and wasn’t a guitar player and it’s very hard to make music seem real if it’s not with musicians.”
Carney also remarked that the actress didn’t come out as a guitar-playing singer-songwriter in the film. Keira Knightley remained silent in response to Carney’s remarks, but other directors spoke out in favor of her.
Mark Romanek, Lynn Shelton, and Lorene Scafaria, who have previously worked with Knightley, took to social media to show their appreciation for the English actress.
Mark Romanek, the director of Never Let Me Go, said,
“My experience with #keiraknightley was utterly spectacular on every level. I have no clue what this guy is talking about. #arrogants***head”.
Lorene Scafaria, who directed Knightley’s 2012 comedy-drama Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World, also agreed with Mark’s tweet and said that the actress is really, really good at her work.
John Carney apologised to Keira Knightley
John Carney issued a public apology days after his negative remarks about Keira Knightley. The filmmaker called himself a ‘complete idiot’ while posting his statement on Twitter. He said,
“I said a number of things about Kiera Knightley which were petty, mean and hurtful. I’m ashamed of myself that I could say such things”
Carney further called Keira a professional and dedicated actor and said that she has a huge share in the film’s success.
From a director who feels like a complete idiot. pic.twitter.com/vfO8m4U2Hl
— John Carney (@jayceefactory) June 1, 2016
Begin Again, which was released in 2014, is a story of college sweethearts, Gretta and Dave, who are also songwriting partners. The movie crossed $65 million at the international box office with over 16 million at the domestic level.
You can watch Begin Again streaming on Netflix, Paramount Plus Apple TV Channel, and DIRECTV.
Source: The Guardian
