David Harbour: Madonna Only Cast Me in ‘W.E.’ Because She Thought I Was ‘Sexy’

Samantha Bergeson
·3 min read

Madonna was hung up on David Harbour long before casting him in “W.E.”

Harbour recalled being invited to a mysterious table read because the director found him to be “sexy” in Sam Mendes’ 2008 film “Revolutionary Road.”

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“It was a crazy thing. It was a real cloak-and-dagger type of experience,” Harbour explained on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” “I got a call from a casting director that I knew very well saying they’re putting together a top-secret movie read-through, but you just have to show up at the St. Regis and go in this room and all will be revealed. And I was like, ‘This is really weird and creepy.'”

The “Stranger Things” star continued that he was told, “‘You have a sex scene in it and they thought you were sexy.’ And so all weekend, I was literally thinking about Ridley Scott and Martin Scorsese. I show up at the St. Regis and I get in the room and there’s a bunch of other New York actors there and in walks Madonna, who’s directing this movie. The first thing that flooded over me, I was like, ‘Wow, Madonna thinks I’m sexy.'”

Harbour eventually was cast in the 2011 historical drama opposite Abbie Cornish, Andrea Riseborough, and James D’Arcy. Madonna co-wrote the script and produced the feature.

The “Violent Night” actor added that the attraction between him and Madonna was mutual, calling the audition a “truly harrowing, exciting experience” since her music video for “Open Your Heart” was a formative moment for him back in 1986.

“I was 11 years old when I saw that video and so there I am, in this boardroom of the St. Regis, and it all comes flooding back,” Harbour said. “And I’m there with a bowler cap like, ‘I’m going to run off with you into the distance.'”

However, Harbour noted that he might have wanted to run away from the reviews for “W.E” upon its release.

“She is a genius in many realms,” he said of Madonna. “The film was not a terrific movie. But there were moments! There were dance sequences in the film — of course — they were done by her choreographer. But I remember she’d come in before we started shooting and go like, ‘No. This is terrible.’ And she’d re-do the whole thing and she was like magic when she got in her dance world and stuff she was incredible. I mean, she’s a genius.”

And Harbour even attended Madonna’s birthday party, adding, “I danced with Madonna to Madonna music. On my headstone, that is it!”

Madonna currently is writing, directing, and producing her own biopic, with Julia Garner playing the “Lucky Star” Grammy winner. Julia Fox is also rumored to be cast as actress Debi Mazar.

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