Timothy Olyphant jokes about David Fincher's famous obsession with multiple takes
The actor said filming a single scene for 'The Adventures of Cliff Booth' stretched across nearly two days under Fincher's direction
Timothy Olyphant has shared a humorous behind-the-scenes story from the set of The Adventures of Cliff Booth, revealing how he liked to jokingly troll director David Fincher during the lengthy filming process.
Speaking on the Smartless podcast, Olyphant recalled reprising his role as real-life actor James Stacy in the sequel to Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
While Tarantino wrote the project, directing duties were taken over by Fincher, who is known for his meticulous filmmaking style.
The actor said his favourite running joke came after each completed take.
“Before he said anything, I'd say, 'Can I get one more? If I could just get one more,'” Olyphant recalled, poking fun at Fincher's reputation for demanding multiple takes.
Although his role in the film is brief, Olyphant said one scene alone took nearly two days to complete, with some moments requiring close to 20 takes.
He explained that Fincher's direction extended beyond performance, often involving precise instructions about body movement, hand placement and framing.
Despite the demanding process, Olyphant embraced the experience, joking that it felt like “pledging a fraternity” as the cast repeatedly filmed scenes until every detail matched the director's vision.
The Adventures of Cliff Booth sees Brad Pitt return as stuntman Cliff Booth, while Olyphant reprises his role from the 2019 Oscar-winning film. Leonardo DiCaprio does not return for the sequel.