Olivia Munn has revealed a behind-the-scenes struggle she faced while working on The Newsroom, a series she loved but which came with its challenges.
On the June 30 episode of Armchair Expert, Munn, 44, shared her experience with a particular director who allegedly attempted to undermine her career due to creative differences during the show’s second and third seasons.
Creative Tension on The Newsroom
In The Newsroom, which aired from 2012 to 2014, Munn played the sharp and witty financial reporter, Sloan Sabbith. The show, created by Aaron Sorkin, featured a star-studded cast including Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer, and Sam Waterston.
Munn’s character received a lot of positive attention in the first season, but she started to face difficulties in later seasons, particularly from a director who frequently worked on the show.
Munn claimed that this director repeatedly tried to steer her character’s storyline in a direction that didn’t fit Sloan’s character. Specifically, he wanted her to focus primarily on her romantic relationship with Don Keefer, played by Thomas Sadoski, rather than her career-driven storyline.
Struggles with Romantic Storyline
As Sloan’s relationship with Don became a central plot point in seasons 2 and 3, Munn was asked to focus more on the romantic side of her character. However, Munn felt this undermined the essence of her character, who was supposed to be deeply invested in her work.
In one instance, Munn recalled being in character, excited about Sloan’s work with a Bloomberg machine, when the director kept urging her to smile at Don and engage in physical affection, asking her to stop and flirt with him or even give him a kiss.
Munn described one scene in particular where Sloan discovers Don has committed insider trading with information she provided. Instead of being angry, the director insisted that Munn play the scene in a lighter, more humorous way. This left Munn feeling frustrated and defiant.
Standing Up for Herself
Munn was not willing to compromise her character for the sake of appeasing the director. She pushed back, asserting her vision of Sloan as a strong and professional character. The conflict escalated to a point where Munn refused to follow the director’s instructions for a scene, leading to a tense standoff.
The director then told Munn that she was coming off as “forceful and strong,” to which Munn responded, “Great. That’s what I wanted.” She walked away, sticking to her convictions despite the tension it caused on set.
Even when a producer later spoke to her about the visible conflict, Munn remained firm in her stance and has no regrets about standing up for herself.
Impact on Her Career
Munn revealed that her creative differences with the director didn’t end on set. When she was up for a movie role after her time on The Newsroom, the director allegedly tried to influence the casting process.
According to Munn, the director spoke negatively about her to the movie’s casting team, claiming she was “combative” and “late all the time.” This accusation, Munn argued, was completely false. She emphasized that she lived only seven minutes from the filming location and was never late to set.
Munn felt that the director was trying to sabotage her career because of their differences on The Newsroom. Despite the director’s attempts to tarnish her reputation, Munn ultimately got the movie role she was up for, but she will always remember how the director tried to damage her future opportunities.
Olivia Munn’s experience on The Newsroom highlights the challenges many actors face when dealing with creative differences and difficult directors.
Despite the pressure, Munn stuck to her principles and stood her ground, which ultimately allowed her to maintain control over her career and character. Looking back, she is proud of how she handled the situation, even if it caused tension on set and within her industry.
