Olivia Wilde reflects on the backlash over "House" storyline
Olivia Wilde revealed that during her time working on the series "House, M.D.," she received "insane death threats." The reason? Her character's relationship with a Black character in the series.
The actress, known for her role as Dr. Remy "Thirteen" Hadley in the popular medical series that aired from 2007 to 2012, discussed this experience at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia. As reported by "The Independent," Wilde confessed that the criticism was directed at her character's relationship with Dr. Eric Foreman, played by Omar Epps.
Olivia Wilde on the death threats
"During the shooting of this storyline, insane death threats kept coming to the studio," the actress recalls. Because of this, additional security measures were introduced on the set. Wilde also mentioned that her character was bisexual, which, at the time, sparked controversy. "Looking at what's on TV now, like 'Euphoria,' the fact that my character was shocking and groundbreaking then seems like nothing," she added.
"House, M.D." ended its broadcast in 2012 after eight seasons and was recognized as the most popular broadcast TV program according to the Guinness Book of World Records, watched by 81.8 million people in 66 countries. To this day, episodes can be watched on Netflix.
Wilde also shared her reflections on women's work in the film industry during the festival. "Films directed by women do not earn less," she emphasized. "It's not a problem of the audience but of the financiers and studios that must take a risk." The actress encouraged young women to enter the entertainment world boldly, saying: "They have the right to take up space. As a director, you can't always apologize for your existence."
Let's recall that Wilde has been not only an actress but also a director for some time. She is known for the notable production "Don't Worry Darling." She cast her then-partner, Harry Styles, in one of the leading roles. The media speculated on how strange it must have been to shoot intimate scenes between Styles and Florence Pugh while his partner was behind the camera. The hype surrounding the movie brought moderate financial success—the story about a housewife in an idealized community hiding a cruel truth earned just over $108 million CAD in theatres.
