Lukas Gage at the age of 27 is at the stage where most new actors could only dream of. Having starred in multiple acclaimed series such as Euphoria, You, and The White Lotus, the young star has much to be grateful for. Despite being an amazing actor, he was once belittled by a well-known director over the state of his home and was called ‘poor’ over a Zoom interview audition he gave back in 2020.
When the clip went viral after Gage had posted it on his X and Instagram, the director came forward and apologized for his insensitive remarks.
Major Hollywood Director’s Insensitive Remarks About Lukas Gage’s Home
It was during the pandemic, over a Zoom interview, that the Euphoria star Lukas Gage was interviewed by TV veteran Tristram Shapeero. Shapeero, unaware that he was unmuted, remarked about the state of Gage’s house and how pitiable it was to audition ‘these poor people‘ living in ‘these tiny apartments‘.
While Gage handled the situation with grace, he later posted the clip on his official Instagram and X handle with the caption ‘psa if you’re a sh*t talking director make sure to mute ur sh*t on zoom mtgings’. In the short clip, Shapeero could be clearly heard saying,
“These poor people living in these tiny apartments. Like I’m looking at his, you know background he’s got his TV…”
While the Hollywood veteran apologized when made aware that he was unmuted, the comments section wasn’t okay with his insensitive remarks. Many called him inconsiderate and insufferable for elitist remarks and the rest praised Lukas Gage for handling the situation without getting agitated or embarrassed.
Later on, the director Tristram Shapeero, whose identity hadn’t been revealed till then, came forward and publically apologized for his remarks.
Tristram Shapeero Apologized To Lukas Gage
While many users had tried to guess who the ‘elitist’ director was, Tristram Shapeero himself came forward and apologized in a public letter to Deadline when the video went viral back in 2020. He stated,
“I have decided to come forward, take responsibility, make the apology Mr. Gage deserves, and offer some background for my unacceptable and insensitive remarks… First and foremost I offer Mr. Gage a sincere and unvarnished apology for my offensive words, my unprofessional behavior during the audition and for not giving him the focus and attention he deserved… Lukas deserved better.”
Giving content to his ‘insensitive’ remarks, the director wrote further,
“I was using the word ‘poor’ in the sense of deserving sympathy, as opposed to any economic judgment. My words were being spoken from a genuine place of appreciation for what the actors were having to endure, stuck in confined spaces, finding it within themselves to give a role-winning performance under these conditions.”
Signing it off with ‘humility and gratitude‘, he promised to do better in the future. Despite the backlash he had received earlier, many came forward to appreciate Shapeero for revealing himself and being honest.
