Don’t Worry Darling: Olivia Wilde says Chris Pine’s ‘terrifying’ character is based on ‘insane’ Jordan Peterson
‘Wonder Woman’ actor stars as Frank, the leader of the film’s utopian desert community
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Olivia Wilde has revealed that Chris Pine’s “terrifying” character in her newest movie, Don’t Worry Darling, is based on the controversial Canadian psychologist and author Jordan Peterson.
The Wonder Woman actor stars in Wilde’s forthcoming psychological thriller as Frank, the utopian desert community’s leader.
Pine features alongside Harry Styles and Florence Pugh, who lead the film as a Fifties couple whose idyllic lives are overturned when Pugh’s Alice uncovers her husband’s dark secret when one of the neighbourhood housewives goes missing.
In a recent interview with Interview Magazine, Wilde spoke with fellow actor Maggie Gyllenhaal about the inspiration behind Frank’s character.
“We based that character on this insane man, Jordan Peterson, who is this pseudo-intellectual hero to the incel community,” Wilde said.
She further explained the incels as a community of “disenfranchised, mostly white men, who believe they are entitled to sex from women”.
“They believe that society has now robbed them – that the idea of feminism is working against nature, and that we must be put back into the correct place,” Wilde added.
Peterson began receiving widespread recognition in the late 2010s for voicing his controversial opinions, many of which are anti-political correctness.
Wilde continued: “This guy Jordan Peterson is someone that legitimises certain aspects of [the incels] movement because he’s a former professor, he’s an author, he wears a suit, so they feel like this is a real philosophy that should be taken seriously.”
The Independent has contacted a representative of Peterson for comment.
Don’t Worry Darling is Wilde’s second feature as a director, following her well-received 2019 teen comedy Booksmart.
As the film’s release date has neared, however, controversy surrounding the movie has arisen. Read here for a timeline of the behind-the-scenes controversies.
Don’t Worry Darling releases in cinemas on 23 September.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments