Diane Kruger has discussed how an uncomfortable situation led to her portrayal of Helen of Troy in Wolfgang Petersen’s historical epic movie from 2004.
In an interview with Variety when the SXSW Festival was still going on, Kruger talked about how she felt degraded during an audition for the role of Troy.
In reference to the Wolfgang Petersen-directed movie “Troy,” which Warner Bros. released in May 2004, Kruger recounted having to see the studio head while dressed up for the test. And after being questioned about why she thought she should be playing this, I felt like meat.
The “Swimming with Sharks” star continued, “I’ve been put in circumstances that were so improper and so uncomfortable,” though she omitted naming the Warner Bros. executive she was alluding to. When I first began out, I believe it simply felt like this is how things are. It’s like this in Hollywood. Also, I’m a model, so trust me when I say they have their moments.
“I’ve definitely come across the Weinsteins of this world from the get-go,” the “Inglourious Basterds” actress continued.
Kruger’s decision to participate in the Roku Channel’s “Swimming with Sharks,” a documentary on the murky side of the studio system, was influenced in part by her prior experiences, though. Kruger remarked, “What really grabbed me to this part is that it’s Hollywood in 2022. Therefore, women prioritise their work over their families or their ambitions. What does that imply once you have authority? What do you do to finish your life? I found this character’s vulnerability and blatant abuse of power to be really fascinating.
In “Swimming with Sharks,” Kruger cited a moment in which her character, a Hollywood CEO, feels compelled to engage in sexual activity with a nurse in front of her boss (Donald Sutherland), who is lying on his hospital bed. Shooting the sequence served as a simple reminder of how repulsive and normal horrible behaviour was at one point in our society, not just in Hollywood, she said.
Brad Pitt, who starred alongside Kruger in “Troy,” claimed in 2019 that the movie’s outcome was “not how [he] wanted it to be.” Pitt attributed a “distinct turn” in his career to the high concept period play. I decided at that point, for lack of a better phrase, that I would only invest in high-quality stories.