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Alec Baldwin has responded to Elon Musk’s criticism of Lupita Ngong’o’s upcoming role as Helen of Troy in “The Odyssey”. The tech billionaire had questioned the motives for her casting.

Musk claimed previously that Christopher Nolan’s casting of Nyong’o had less to do with storytelling and more to do with the awards season. The owner of X used the diversity requirements that films must meet in order to be considered for Best Picture to make his argument.

Baldwin, the star of “Saturday Night Live”, has defended the Kenyan actress with passion, insisting that she truly fits the legendary beauty of the role.

Elon Musk thinks Nolan wants the awards

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Musk has recently re-initiated his public criticism of director Christopher Nolan. He used his X platform in order to slam Nolan’s upcoming epic “The Odyssey.”

The latest controversy arose after Nolan confirmed, in a recent Time Magazine interview, that Nyong’o would play both Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra in the film.

Musk was not happy with the casting, arguing that she did not fit the description given in the source material.

Tesla’s boss also referred to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences updated standards for Best Picture eligibility.

Elon Musk is called out by Alec Baldwin for his criticism of Lupita

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Baldwin, who appeared to be frustrated by Musk’s opinion on Nyong’o’s selection as Helen of Troy’s actress, responded on Instagram with a picture of the actress. “Dear Elon,” Baldwin wrote in the caption. “But she IS the most gorgeous woman in the entire world… Alec.”

His comment came after remarks by conservative commentator Matt Walsh who argued on X in a blog post that no one genuinely saw Nyong’o fitting the mythical picture of Helen, whose beautiful beauty was famously what sparked off the Trojan War.

Musk has also criticised other casting choices related to the film including Elliot Page’s role after initially reacting in response to rumors that Page would play Achilles.

Fans echo Elon Musk’s Casting Disapproval

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Musk said that it would be an “insult” if Nyong’o was cast as Helen of Troy and even wrote, “Chris Nolan’s integrity has been lost.”

Many online users seemed to agree with him, and some accused the filmmaker of deliberately provocating audiences by casting a Black actor in a traditionally white role.

“It feels humiliating,” wrote one X user, criticizing Nolan’s choice of casting and claiming that the filmmaker had gone back to acclaimed films like “Oppenheimer”, “Interstellar”, and made decisions they found absurd.

Another user dismissed the film as well, stating that each new casting announcement made him less interested in watching the film. He predicted that “The Odyssey” will fail at the box office.

Christopher Nolan defends other ‘Odyssey” choices

Nolan hasn’t directly responded to Musk, but he has defended certain creative choices made in “The Odyssey”, which have also caused backlash on the internet.

The film will be released in theaters around the world on 17 July 2026. Radio Times reported that the trailer made people laugh when Tom Holland’s Telemachus said his “dad” was returning. Many viewers also criticised the armor worn by certain characters, claiming that it looked like the Batsuit in Nolan’s trilogy “Dark Knight”.

In his Time Magazine interview, the director responded to the criticism of the armor by explaining the historical reasoning behind the design.

He said that there are Mycenaean blades that have been blackened. “Theoretically, they could have blackened the bronze in those times.” “You take bronze and add more gold and sliver to it, then use sulfur.”

Nolan Compares “The Odyssey” To “Interstellar”

The “Oppenheimer’ director also revealed his overall approach to filmmaking, comparing it with the process behind “Interstellar.”

Nolan said that when you look at the ancient past it’s the same thing. “‘What is my best speculation, and how can I use it to create a new world?'”

He said that he doesn’t expect every viewer to be in agreement with his choices, but he wants to make sure that the film is still well-considered.

“Hopefully they will enjoy the film even if they disagree with everything.” Nolan said that a lot scientists had complained about “Interstellar.” But you don’t want to give the impression that you were a frivolous person.

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Actor Adam Driver is hot off the success of “Paper Tiger” at the Cannes Film Festival. Directed by James Gray, the film tells the story of two brothers who become entangled with the Russian mafia while pursuing the American Dream. Since early reviews are praising Driver’s acting ability, it’s no surprise that he’s been tapped to star in Kenneth Lonergan’s latest feature.

Adam Driver To Star In Kenneth Lonergan’s Drama ‘Tomorrow Is A Drag’

Kenneth Lonergan earned an Oscar for best original screenplay for 2016’s “Manchester by the Sea.” The film also gave Casey Affleck a best actor win. Lonergan’s latest film might just give Driver another shot at an Oscar, as he received consecutive Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor for playing a Jewish police officer infiltrating the KKK in 2018’s “BlacKkKlansman” and Best Actor for his role as a theater director going through a divorce in 2019’s “Marriage Story.”

In Kenneth Lonergan’s latest film, “Tomorrow Is A Drag,” Driver will reunite with his “Megalopolis” costar Aubrey Plaza, as reported by Variety. Vanessa Kirby and Matthew Broderick are also attached to the project. Plot details are being kept under wraps for now, although Lonergan previously worked with Driver on the off-Broadway play “Hold On to Me Darling.”

‘Paper Tiger’ Gets A 10-Minute Ovation At The Cannes Film Festival

According to Deadline, James Gray’s new film “Paper Tiger” drew in a ten-minute standing ovation at the Grand Theatre Lumiere. Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore, and director Pawel Pawlikowski were some of the A-list stars leading the applause.

Emotional director James Gray thanked the crowd, saying, “There’s much more gray now in the beard, not just the name, but the beard. And I have learned finally to appreciate. But more I appreciate you, without you, there is no cinema, cinema needs you. And cinema needs you guys more than ever. Really. This is really an important time and Cannes is so important for that reason and you are important for that reason. So, it moves me greatly to see you here in this theater where I have many great memories. And I love you all, what can I say, I’m going to leave soon, so I can hide.”

‘Paper Tiger’ Stars Adam Driver, Miles Teller, and Scarlett Johansson

The film stars Adam Driver and Miles Teller as two brothers. Driver’s character is a divorced ex-cop with ties to the Russian mafia, and Teller plays a more straight-laced father to his two sons, while his wife, played by Scarlett Johansson, hides a secret of her own when her health struggles catch up with her.

NEON has acquired the rights to the film, which was first announced at last year’s Cannes market. The last time Gray was at Cannes was with 2022’s “Armageddon Time.” That coming-of-age film was widely praised upon its release, and it seems that Gray’s latest story about the American Dream will be no different. Reviews that have been coming out of Cannes have been overwhelmingly positive, with Driver’s acting drawing considerable praise.

Scarlett Johansson Opens Up About Working With Adam Driver

Although she was married – and divorcing – Driver’s character in “Marriage Story,” Johansson is married to Miles Teller’s character in “Paper Tiger.” Even though she shared a few scenes with Driver, she told The Hollywood Reporter that she would have loved to work with him more on the project.  

“I would’ve loved to have had even more scenework with him, I love working with him,” she told the publication. However, that’s not to say she didn’t enjoy working with Teller.

“He’s so unexpectedly tender. I went away for a couple of weeks to do the press for Jurassic — I felt crazy to leave, but I had to go — and when I was gone, I’d get photographs of my makeup station from Miles and he’d be like, ‘Where’s Hester?’” she said of working with the “Top Gun: Maverick” alum.  

The “Avengers” actress also told PEOPLE magazine that she had a “great” experience working with the actor back in 2025. “I love Adam as a person and he is an absolutely extraordinary actor,” she said at the time. “If I could make every movie with Adam Driver, I would.”

The Adam Driver and Kenneth Lonergan Reunite For ‘Tomorrow Is a Drag’ first appeared on The Blast

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Actor Adam Driver and his wife, Joanne Tucker, stepped out in style at the premiere of his new movie, “Paper Tiger,” at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday, May 16. The “Star Wars” actor stars in the film alongside his “Marriage Story” costar Scarlett Johansson and “Top Gun: Maverick” star Miles Teller.

Adam Driver and Wife Joanne Tucker Hit The Cannes Red Carpet

Adam Driver and his wife, Joanne Tucker, attended the 79^th Cannes Film Festival to promote his new movie, “Paper Tiger,” directed by James Gray. The film focuses on the story of two brothers, played by Driver and Teller, who become entangled with the Russian mafia while pursuing the American dream.

Driver stepped out in a black suit and bowtie, while his wife wore a strapless black dress. Tucker wore her long blonde hair down, brushing it back to reveal silver dangling earrings. Driver was all smiles, occasionally waving to photographers on the Cannes red carpet while he posed for photos with his wife and Teller. Johansson was unfortunately absent from the film’s premiere due to a scheduling conflict.  

Inside The Couple’s Private Relationship

The “Marriage Story” actor and his wife are notoriously private. They met while attending Juilliard and co-founded the non-profit charity Arts in the Armed Forces in 2006. The organization’s goal is to bring artistic experiences to those in the U.S. military.

They tied the knot in 2013 and welcomed their first child, a son, in 2016. They welcomed their second child, a girl, in April 2023, although they have done their best to raise their growing family out of the spotlight.

Joanne Tucker Is Also An Actress

Although she is not as well-known in Hollywood circles, Tucker is also an actress who has appeared in a few different TV shows and movies over the years. She shared the screen with her husband in 2019’s “The Report” and even made an appearance in “Girls.”

She is also an avid runner and ran the 2019 TCS New York City Marathon to support the Arts in the Armed Forces. “It’s my favorite way to explore and get my bearings in a new place, and I’m passionate about it because it demands that your whole physical self participate,” she said in a quote on the AITAF Instagram page. “You can do it anywhere at no cost, and it provides dedicated time and space to think and reflect.”

Joanne Tucker Taught Adam Driver Some Important Life Lessons

Driver spent a little over two years serving in the Marine Corps before he was medically discharged due to a motorbike injury. During his first semester at Juilliard, he had a bit of trouble adjusting to his new environment.

“I made three people cry my first semester,” he told Broadway.com in 2009. “I was used to a very aggressive way of talking to people. I would consider it having a discussion, but I guess others didn’t see it that way!”

He revealed that Tucker helped him adjust to life in New York City, joking, “She taught me what Gouda cheese is. And that you shouldn’t talk with your mouth full and spit on the sidewalk.”

In a separate interview with The New Yorker, he explained that he was impressed with her when they first met because “she read a lot of books” and “knew a lot of sh-t.” He went on to say that, “She was very composed.”

Juilliard teacher Richard Feldman, who officiated their 2013 wedding, told the publication, “She doesn’t take any nonsense.”

Adam Driver Joked About Being A Father On ‘Saturday Night Live’

The “Star Wars” actor managed to keep the fact that he had welcomed a son a secret for the first four years of his life. He finally revealed that he had welcomed a child during his “Saturday Night Live” hosting appearance in 2020, saying, “I’m a husband. And a father. It’s in that order, though. I’ve been very clear with my son about that; he’s second in everything.”

After he welcomed his second child, he told host Mark Consuelos during an appearance on “Live with Kelly & Mark” that he wasn’t getting much sleep because of his then-8-month-old daughter, as per PEOPLE magazine.

“But I’m remembering this time that I have to enjoy it more. This first time, it went too fast, and I was so anxious for him to kind of develop so he could communicate and tell me what was wrong,” Driver said. “And now I’m more patient with her. I’m trying to enjoy it more.”

Although his children are still too young to hit the red carpet with him, Tucker has regularly appeared alongside her husband at everything from the Oscars to the Golden Globes. She has supported her husband at nearly all of his movie premieres and screenings, and it remains to be seen if his latest role in “Paper Tiger” will earn him yet another Academy Award nomination.

The Adam Driver And Wife Joanne Tucker Hit Cannes Red Carpet For ‘Paper Tiger’ Premiere first appeared on The Blast