Olivia Wilde amazed by Jason Sudeikis’ talent in Booksmart

Olivia Wilde was in awe of her actor fiance Jason Sudeikis’ talent while directing him in her new comedy Booksmart.
The actress-turned-filmmaker recruited her longtime partner to star in her directorial debut, and working together allowed her to experience his skillset as a performer first hand.
“That was great,” she tells People magazine of working with Sudeikis. “He’s one of the best improvisers in the world so I knew I could cast him. He’s like spinning a top and just letting it roll. It’s really amazing to see him do his thing.”
Although she found herself at ease on set, Olivia was initially anxious about stepping behind the camera.
“I was nervous, for sure, because it’s nerve-racking to take something totally personal and put it in front of the world, but I feel excited,” she adds. “The early response has been very positive. People are enjoying themselves and that’s why we did it. I want to do it again. I love directing. I’m hooked.”
The comedy centres on two high achieving high school seniors, played by Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein, who rebel ahead of their graduation and let loose.
The film debuted at the South by Southwest Film Festival in March (19) to rave reviews and earned her the Breakthrough Director of the Year prize at CinemaCon Big Screen Achievement Awards in Las Vegas on Thursday (04Apr19).
“I feel like the only thing better than being an actor and seeing yourself on a big screen is being a director and seeing the work that you were lucky enough to create on a big screen,” Wilde said while accepting the accolade.
“It is the greatest honour to have my first film seen in movie theatres. This is what people dream about, and so many directors don’t get that chance, so I am just the luckiest person on earth.”
Booksmart opens in U.S. theatres next month (May19).