Up until this point I’ve really liked the work of Luis Guzman… and I guess I still do. But as of right now I have absolutely ZERO respect for this higher-than-thou, non-professional, egotistical piece of shit. So what happened?
A piece of footage from the set of the new Ryan Reynolds film “Waiting” has hit the net. In this “behind the scenes” footage, we see the director (Rob McKittrick – this is his first major project) talking to the cast and trying to get Luis Guzman to say his line. Wow… how radical… a director telling one of his actors what to say in a scene.
But apparently McKittrick didn’t get the memo that said actors called the shots on set. I guess no one told the director that A-List wanna-be actors like Guzman get to decide what lines they will or won’t say whenever the hell they feel like it and don’t need to listen to the director.
In the video we see McKittrick trying to appease Guzman, and offered to do the shot his way AND Guzman’s way and then have them both look at it later… but Guzman refuses. The conversation then goes something like this:
Guzman: Fuck that shit. If you we it like that then you’ll just take it your way
McKittrick: Look, I promise you that if we get it….
G: Look, I’m going to do it my way and that’s it.
M: Just say….
G: No, I’ve worked with a lot of directors, I know what the fuck they do, and that’s how I’m going to do it and that’s it.
M: Look, all of these guys will testify that I always let them have a take. So I’ll give you you’re take and you give me mine. Ok?
G: No, I’m doing it this way and that’s it.
And as if Guzman hasn’t made enough of an ass of himself already, he really makes a play to be the president of the Jackass club:
G: Do you know who the fuck I’ve worked with? And who the fuck are you?
M: I think it’s pathetic that these young guys are willing to do their lines and you won’t
G: Don’t you curse at me again or I’ll bitch slap you. We’re doing it my way and that’s it.
It just get’s worse with Guzman swearing some more and walking off the set.
WHO THE HELL DOES THIS GUY THINK HE IS!?!?! Forget Tom Cruise, or Russell Crowe or Rob Schnieder or any other actor you think is unlikeable. Luis Guzman is now king of Asswipe mountain. I will never again be able to watch this guy’s work without seeing nothing but high lord of the idiots jerk off. What a moron. What a total self indulged piece of crap. I hope no director ever agrees to work with this moron again.
If you’d like to see the video for yourself (it’s even worse than I’ve described it) you can click here. (via)
**UPDATE: Jusin Long seems to think this was all a joke. But…
Rob McKittrick (the director) writes that it was quite serious on his blog
It *was* a joke: http://www.robmckittrick.com/blog/2005/10/career-suicide.html
AND THE AWARD FOR “LATIN DOUCHBAG OF THE YEAR” GOES TO…..LUIS GUZMAN! Seriously, folks. This is LUIS F-ING GUZMAN we are talking about here, if he wants to do his line, his way, then the director has no right to tell him how to say it in his movie……..OK, now I’m gonna be serious. Luis Guzman IS an influential celebrity, he was on VH1’s “I Love The 80’s”. Seriously…….Fuck that little shit.
Arethusa:
Mexican was meant as an adjective really, not pointing him out as lesser then other midgets, just that he is, in fact, Mexican.
However I would rather be bossed around by a midget who looks like a mini-Shaft then a midget who looks like Senor Pablo. Or a Dutch midget.
Or that midget from Twin Peaks, what was he?
John, got it from the horse’s mouth:
http://www.robmckittrick.com/blog/2005/10/career-suicide.html
Drew
I don’t know what the big deal is anyway, when is the last time anyone went to a movie to see Luis Guzman? Who cares about him? He pops up in the strangest movies in the oddest roles that always look, sound and act the same way. I would boycot his films if it was ever evident that he was going to be in them. The director looks like a pretty big boy I would have liked to see Guzman’s fat ass try to bitch slap him. Seriously they could edit all his scenes out and know one would be the wiser. I also would understand the director wanting the footage out there because if he just fired Guzman they would have just called it artistic differences but now we get to see what that phrase means. It means someone is being an ass, in this case its the actor.
Hey Drew…
What do you mean “It’s official”? What “official” source said that? I read Rob’s (the director) blog again today and he hasn’t said anything about it being a joke. Seriously… what’s your source on that? I’d like to read it.
~John
It’s officially out as a practical joke now by Luis Guzman and Rob McKittrick. The cast had no idea about it while it was going on, hence the looks by Reynolds & Co. It’s time to retract this entry and admit you were bamboozled on this one, John. :)
Movies are not a charity. Actors should always be grateful for being cast because nobody owes them a living. Guzman isn’t even a star. He’s not an A-List above the title box office draw. Even Tom Cruise, the biggest star in the world, shows due respect to the directors he works with. Guzman is a jumped up little prick who hopefully will have lost a lot of work because of this.
As a first time poster here, I thought this kind of thing was appropriate to post on, as it really gets me going hearing and seeing this kind of stupidity.
Actors are employees, that is a fact of the business, same as we are employees of companies and business’. The industry is creative, its an industry built on ideas, imagination and creating alternate realities which we view.
But its still a business. The type of language, attitude, and general disrespect shown here, joke or not, is just not something that occurs in a business. The director is the man putting the show together, like a director in any business, and a movie IS like a small business cell.
Putting forward creative ideas to your boss/director/conquerer, whatever, is something that should be a civilized process…not a forum for throwing tantrums like a 5 year old with tourette syndrome. Primadona attitudes hold no place in any industry (sorry….forgot about the music industry, I think its a pre-req for a resume in there).
I totally agree with the posts here that suggest that a ‘Donald Trump’ type “You’re Fired” attitude. A replacement could easily have been found. One that was willing to work, and willing to put forward creative critism.
After seeing this, I have a feeling the mood on the set was…uncomfortable…especially with him saying…
“We didn’t have a good beat on him. We didn’t really know what he was about. He was this respected actor. We were all kind of nervous to be around him. He’d been weird with the director all day. There was this weird drama in the air.”
It seems to me Justin is simply trying to put forward some professionalism to a film he was in where one of the actors decided that ‘throwing a hissy fit’ was the way to get his own way.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Response #2
Who is worse: the actor being uncool telling the director what to do, even if the director lets his actors listen to thier ideas?
or
A director who feels that he must have this footage leak out? Does he feel Guzman ruined his precious little film?
Best revenge isn’t this “earth shattering footage” but rather fire the actor, have him take a walk, or cut him out of the picture as much as possible.
I’m sure we’ll hear Luis’ side of the story soon.
BTW, what did everyone think about him playing a different character in the direct to DVD Carlito’s Way preqel? Nacho was a hoot, but I’d rather him play Pachanga.
If so, then why did Justin try to cover it up?
Guzman was having a diva moment. And that’s to bad.
Donna A.
Hey there Logster.
I see where you’re coming from… but I have to disagree totally. I don’t think an actor would participate in a publicity stunt that would totally ruin his reputation like this incident will.
Wow, take a look at Ryan Reynolds face during that whole confrontation. You telling me that’s all acting on everyone’s part? That this is just some gag? No way. Reynolds looked sick, like he wanted to punch Guzman. Same with Justin Long. That wasn’t a gag, that was real stuff. And if it is a gag, man, those guys are GREAT ACTORS.
John, if this is a publicity stunt, the director HAS to be serious about it. The only way he’s gonna “sell” this is if he’s absolutely serious about it. And I don’t think the intention of this “fight” is to change the people whose minds are already made up. I think it’s to bring awareness to the movie. And what better way to spread the word than a good scandal about a director trying to calm a lunatic actor? We’re talking about it right now, aren’t we?
1) To have this bit, joke or not, will not increase the chances of anyone seeing the film who have already made up thier mind not to;
2) It is a terrible line. If it was meant to be funny, it wasn’t. If serious, it isn’t. Is the line really that important? If not, why have it?
3) If this wasn’t a joke, Luis is being uncool. If the director has actors doing thier take and then he do his, that’s being flexible and listening to actors. Luis don’t want to say the line? He should know where the exit sign above the door is.
4) Is Luis being paid? Perks with the trailer okay? Was the catering bad?
5) Is Luis friends with Ashton Kutcher? Was the director punk’d?
so many things to say. but the thing that rubs me the worst is the “dont curse at me” thing. guzman is cussing up a storm, but the director gets frustrated and FINALLY indirectly says the f word and suddenly guzman acts like he’s been acting like mother theresa the whole time.
its hard to say i wont support his films because ho would even know what films he’s in.
The Director’s blog seems quite serious:
http://www.robmckittrick.com/blog/2005/10/today-is-big-day.html
The link just said it was a joke. I didnt watch the clip cause I’m on 56k of AOL bull, but the other link, Justin Long mentions and gives details on it. He said it was a joke.
i think this wins the bitterest thread ever award, hands down.
I just watched the clip and I’m shocked – This clip should be past around so it can hit the airways (TV) – I’m assuming he came back to finish the scene the way the director wanted?
“Directors don’t get bossed around my fat Mexican midgets.” – Joseph
As opposed to other kinds of “midgets”?
Justin Long mentions this in an interview here:
http://www.movieweb.com/news/news.php?id=9418
It’s the 7th question. He says it was just a joke.
I would have fired Guzman’s arrogant ass! It doesn’t matter if a director has been making movies for years or if he’s brand new, they should never be spoken to like that. When Guzman threatened to “bitch slap” him, he should have said “Ok, then. Get the fuck off my set. You’re fired.”
He comes off like a pretty big ass… but in his defense John…
Waiting is a horrible horrible movie. I wouldn’t want to say that shit either.
Hey there Nesto13,
This quote is taken from the Director’s personal blog (http://www.robmckittrick.com/). Here’s how he described it:
“Here’s the set-up for the clip: Basically, I wanted Luis to cheer the character “Calvin” on by saying “You can do it!” (not like Rob Schneider, by the way), and he wanted to cheer him on by calling him a “Pissing-Pussy-Bitch.” This is supposed to be Calvin’s dream sequence where everyone is being nice to him, and I tried to explain that to Luis, but he wouldn’t fucking budge. You tell me if I was being out of line, or if I was “directing him on how to act.”
Guzman is such a dick
Cheers!
~John
What was the line or what exactly did he want him to do? you dont really get that from the clip? Maybe the line was a horrible attempt by writers to be ‘hip’ with this generation. Which if more actors opposed some the horrible dialogue being written the better of we are in the long run. he did come off as an ass. all he needed to add was, ” Do you know who my father is?” (I know his father isnt famous, but it is a common im better than you phrase.) my point being, we cant exactly gather the full context of the situation. ok the director did make an attemt to please guzman, but maybe guzman believed in it that much.
How pathetic. As a Hispanic, I often feel that other Hispanic actors all too often make complete piles of shit of themselves once they have make it to Hollywood. I will never see a movie with this piece of shit ever again. I hope evey one feels the same and avoids this asshole whenever they can.
three words: you are fired
Just a question, is being an a** justified because youre a bigger star than the other? I am confused.
I think Waiting looks really bad, but McKittrick should have just done what Kubrick would have done. (Kubrick did this to the cinematographer who was trying to boss him around during ‘The Killing’) This is what Kubrick said:
“I will say this once and only once, you will do what I say, exactly how I tell you, or get off my set and don’t come back.”
If I were the director I would have said “Okay, Luis, (pause) get the fuck out.” And I would’ve replaced him. Directors don’t get bossed around my fat Mexican midgets.
I couldnt agree more. He was funny, or so I thought before this, but he’s not even a big star to be demanding stuff like that. And I couldnt agree more with Al.
Thi guy is an asshole. Whats up with this prima-dona attitude. He should go fuck himself.