Actress and filmmaker Olivia Wilde has opened up about the time a cameraman saved her life on the set of a 2006 horror movie.
Wilde, 42, was in Brazil filming John Stockwell’s nightmarish horror offering “Turistas” — which was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland as “Paradise Lost” — when the near-fatal incident occurred.
As well as Wilde, the film starred Josh Duhamel, Melissa George, Desmond Askew, Max Brown, and Beau Garrett.
Per IMDb, the movie’s plot is as follows: “A group of young backpackers’ vacation turns sour when a bus accident leaves them marooned in a remote Brazilian rural area that holds an ominous secret.”
What is that ominous secret? The area is home to an underground organ trafficking ring who target the backpackers.
Wilde was talking to Entertainment Weekly on their “Lie vs. Lie” video series when the incident that required cameraman intervention cropped up. She was discussing her new movie, “The Invite,” which she directs and stars in. Her co-star in the film, Seth Rogen, was alongside her.
Olivia Wilde Nearly Drowned on the Set of ‘Turistas’
GettyDuring their chat with Entertainment Weekly, Seth Rogen asked Olivia Wilde if she had ever had to learn an unusual skill for an acting role. Her answer took her to the terrifying occasion that she nearly drowned on the set of “Turistas.”
Wilde said, “I had to learn how to free dive to go into tunnels and hold my breath for minutes upon minutes.”
The star continued, “We had to go down into this tunnel, and I got lost. It’s a job a stunt person should do. And you have to suck down little bubbles of air that look like little mercury pods.”
Wilde then explained how she was taken underwater with a scuba tank before every take. On one occasion, as she tried to inhale the air bubbles she described, she “sucked down a bunch of water” into her lungs.
She went on, “My character was supposed to be drowning, so when I started drowning, they were like, ‘All right… she’s nailing it, she locked in.'”
Thankfully, a courageous camera operator noticed something was wrong. Wilde added, “And the cameraman dropped the camera to grab me, because he was like, ‘She dead.'”
Rogen then asked the actress if that take was included in the final version of the movie. She replied, “It was the only take, so it had to be.”
‘Turistas’ Was Sadly a Flop
Getty“Turistas” is a movie Olivia Wilde will want to forget about for obvious reasons, given that she nearly drowned while filming it. However, she’ll likely also want to forget it because it was both a critical and commercial flop.
Per Rotten Tomatoes, its approval rating is a poor 19% and its audience rating isn’t much better at 28%.
Also, having cost $10 million to make, it grossed a measly $14 million at the global box office (per Box Office Mojo).
Wilde will certainly be hoping “The Invite” is a bigger success for her — especially considering she helmed the movie.
Having only been released on Friday, June 26, its worldwide gross isn’t yet known. However, its critical rating is fantastic. Per Rotten Tomatoes, it boasts a highly impressive approval rating of 94% and an audience score of 95%.
Per IMDb, the romantic comedy-drama’s plot is as follows: “Joe and Angela’s marriage is on thin ice. When they invite their enigmatic upstairs neighbors for a dinner party, the night spirals into unexpected places.”
With Wilde as Angela and Rogen as Joe, the movie also stars Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton as their neighbors.
We wish Wilde all the very best with regards to “The Invite” and hope it’s a big success for her. Go and see it!
