So golden! While celebrating her upcoming movie, Don’t Worry Darling, Olivia Wilde praised the talented stars who contributed to the project — including boyfriend Harry Styles.
During a panel at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Tuesday, April 26, Wilde, 38, applauded Florence Pugh for being “brilliant, sexy, fierce and tough” as the leading lady. “We knew this movie would live or die off her role,” the director added of the Little Women star, 26, according to Variety.
As for Styles, 28, Wilde joked that she wasn’t familiar with the singer’s accomplishments, referring to him as “an up-and-coming actor with no other career” that she was aware of. The Booksmart director went on to call the U.K. native’s performance “nothing short of a revelation.”
Don’t Worry Darling, which is written by Katie Silberman, follows an unhappy housewife (Pugh) in the 1950s who discovers a disturbing truth, while her loving husband (Styles) hides a dark secret. The psychological thriller also stars Chris Pine, Gemma Chan, KiKi Layne, Nick Kroll and Wilde.
On Tuesday, the convention’s attendees got a glimpse at the official trailer, which included several steamy scenes between Pugh and Styles. Shia LaBeouf was initially cast in the One Direction member’s role but dropped out of the movie due to a scheduling issue.
Following LaBeouf’s exit, Wilde and Styles made headlines when they were spotted holding hands off set in January 2021. A source exclusively told Us Weekly at the time that the couple developed a connection after working together on the film.
“Harry and Olivia had chemistry almost instantaneously on set,” the insider revealed. “It was only a matter of time before they got together.”
According to the source, the House alum tried not to draw too much attention to her new romance following her split from fiancé Jason Sudeikis several months prior. “Olivia and Harry were able to keep their relationship under wraps for a bit before it became public knowledge,” the insider shared. “They were very careful about it and even sleuthy at times, although the small group of people who were on set with them every day eventually figured it out.”
Earlier this year, the New York native opened up about her decision not to hide her dating life from her kids.
“Parenting forces you to be honest about how you live your life. It puts in sharp, clear focus decisions you’re making,” Wilde, who shares Otis, 8, and Daisy, 5, with Sudeikis, 46, told Vogue in her January cover story. “I think we owe it to children to be happy. They sense it. They’re so intuitive. The idea that you can trick your kids into thinking you’re happy is ludicrous.”
The filmmaker also addressed the more complicated aspects of dating in the public eye. “It’s obviously really tempting to correct a false narrative. But I think what you realize is that when you’re really happy, it doesn’t matter what strangers think about you. All that matters to you is what’s real, and what you love, and who you love,” Wilde continued. “In the past 10 years, as a society, we have placed so much more value on the opinion of strangers rather than the people closest to us. I’m happier than I’ve ever been. And I’m healthier than I’ve ever been, and it’s just wonderful to feel that.”
Don’t Worry Darling premieres in theaters on September 23.
