Olivia Wilde Urges Women to Fight Back Against the ‘Burning Hellfire of Misogyny’ During Elle Women in Hollywood Speech
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Though “Don’t Worry Darling” director and star Olivia Wilde may have been “gobsmacked” to be honored as one of Elle’s Women in Hollywood on Monday night, she used the opportunity to speak candidly about her experiences as headline fodder during the film’s press tour and to urge women to “keep fighting through the hellfire” of the patriarchy in the entertainment business and beyond.
Before the crowd of about 200 guests seated for the open-air dinner held at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, Wilde began her biting, yet lighthearted speech with a joke about finding out there were seven other honorees — Ariana DeBose, Anne Hathaway, Issa Rae, Sydney Sweeney, Sigourney Weaver and Michelle Yeoh — also being recognized. Wilde went on to say she’d “learned so much” from them all, describing them as an “extraordinary list of women who have not only inspired me forever, but who have forged the very shape of this industry through their hard work, bold choices and resilience.”
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Wilde reflected on getting her start 20 years ago as a casting assistant before becoming “an actress who started producing and then finally got the courage to start directing.” The “Don’t Worry Darling” and “Booksmart” director then quipped, “And [I] wouldn’t have started any of it at all hadn’t I known Twitter would be invented,” before adding, “It’s a real thrill to have what is undeniably the greatest job on the planet.”
“I am gobsmacked by this moment. I’m deeply grateful for the support that it represents,” Wilde said. “These opportunities like tonight to gather as women are crucial. They’re extremely impactful. They offer us the opportunity to look into each other’s eyes and say ‘Keep going,’ because let’s face it, it’s not always easy to keep going. In fact, sometimes it’s tempting to excuse ourselves from the burning hellfire of misogyny that defines this business and say, ‘Good night. Good luck. I’d rather eat glass.’ But we won’t let each other give up.”
Wilde reflected on the profound nature of celebrations like Elle Women in Hollywood, noting that “they’re maybe our most honest acknowledgment of the constant battle we’re all fighting.”
“We are allies relying on each other not to fall back and stop advancing because we are up against a seriously massive force of opposition that has for centuries, tried to rein us in. And when one of us steps back, we all step back,” she explained. “So no matter how much the patriarchy relies on us to cut each other down in order to weaken our collective power, we have to resist the urge to play by their self-serving rules, and remind the world, and specifically our daughters, that we aren’t so easily manipulated. I feel energized by you all and I feel motivated to keep fighting through the hellfire.”
“In some ways, the challenges are all a part of it, right? Real badges of honor. Just par for the course,” she cracked. “Let’s face it, you are not a woman in Hollywood until you’ve begged to be placed into a medically-induced coma until your press tour is finished. Until then, you’re just a woman residing in or around the Hollywood area.”
As the crowd chuckled, Wilde concluded her remarks. “I love my life. I love my job. What more could I ask for, except to be the only cover, but that’s another conversation,” she said.
Wilde was supported at the event by her “Don’t Worry Darling” stars Nick Kroll, who emceed the soiree, and Kate Berlant, who presented the award to her director.
Kroll gently addressed the elephant in the room, with a self-deprecating joke at the top of his monologue. “I’m probably best known as the least-interesting part of the ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ press tour,” he said.
As he introduced each honoree, Kroll added that he “was brilliantly directed by an had the pleasure of acting opposite Olivia Wilde in ‘Don’t Worry Darling.’ And the movie had a big surprise twist ending where it was revealed that we had a great time making it.”
Berlant also addressed the pervasive drama, praising Wilde for the way she’s navigated through it.
“She’s a role model for so many reasons, but also this one reason, which is, quite simply that I don’t know what that kind of tabloid attention feels like,” Berlant said. “It seems absolutely terrifying. I personally would be reduced to ash — truly. But Olivia handled all of it with such grace and charm and grit.”
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