Julia Roberts’ latest Netflix film Leave the World Behind proved to be a fascinating and thought-provoking apocalyptic thriller that boasts a stellar cast. High-profile names including Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, and Kevin Bacon all contributed to elevating the source material to new heights and delivering a scary film about cyber-intelligence and socio-political warfare.
Most of the cast had or worked with each other and director Sam Esmail was fortunate to bring all these powerhouse actors under one roof. He also helped debunk a long-standing myth among fans regarding Hawke and Bacon through the film.
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Sam Esmail Put an End to A Wild Theory About Ethan Hawke and Kevin Bacon
Sam Esmail directed the recent Julia Roberts-led Netflix apocalyptic thriller Leave the World Behind. The film chronicled the mysterious events stemming from cyber attacks within America and the quest to find out the reason behind them. The film also starred Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, and Kevin Bacon in pivotal roles.
Most of the powerhouse actors were working for the first time including Roberts and Hawke. Esmail through the film also put an end to a long-standing wild conspiracy theory that Hawke and Bacon were the same person. The two actors were always mistaken for one another by the general public.
Through an intense scene in the film involving Ali, Hawke, and Bacon, Esmail was able to show that the theory was wrong and the two actors are indeed different people. He told Forbes,
“I didn’t realize this, but there’s this sort of conspiracy theory out there that Ethan and Kevin were the same person. I’m happy to dispel that myth and actually show them in the same shot. It was great working with the three of them.
Like you, I’m of that same generation, and these were my heroes growing up. I loved watching them, so it was great to watch them in a movie I was making and go at it with each other.”
It’s funny to know that for a long time, people thought that Hawke and Bacon were the same person. Hawke has also joked about the same in an interview with Ethan Page for the film. Both actors excelled in a confrontation scene between the three male leads in the film
Also read: Julia Roberts Hates One Film’s Ending Despite Its Status as an Iconic 90s Rom-Com
Sam Esmail Wanted to Flip Julia Roberts’ Sweet Persona With The Film
Julia Roberts is known for being a jolly and fun woman in real life. Even in her films, she has mostly played characters who want to fight against injustices and do the right thing. However, with Leave the World Behind, director Sam Esmail wanted to flip that perception of her and show another side of the actress.
In an interview with Vulture, Esmail revealed that he instantly thought of Roberts for Amanda, a cruel self-entitled woman, not because she was like that in real life. He claims that only Roberts could have instilled humanity in an unlikable character like Amanda in the film. He said,
“I only met Julia, what, five years ago? The Julia I know wants to challenge herself and mix things up. When I read the book, I immediately thought of her, not because she reminds me of Amanda — She’s nothing like Amanda —
but I knew it would take that America’s Sweetheart persona that she has and flip it on its ear. Only somebody like Julia can channel the humanity of a Karen. And you really need that, otherwise the movie wouldn’t work.”
Roberts delivered one of her best performances in the film, showing a despicable yet vulnerable side of the character. The film was also received very well by critics and audiences with the ambiguous ending of the film creating a lot of chatter and debate among cinephiles.
