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.
