Filmmaker James Gunn has opened up about one of the most awkward directing experiences of his career. Interestingly, this involves filming his wife, actress Jennifer Holland, in the hit anti-hero series ‘Peacemaker Season 2’.
James Gunn on directing his wife’s kiss with John Cena
Holland, who plays Emilia Harcourt in the DC series, had to pucker up and film a passionate kiss with her leading man, John Cena, in the series finale, and much to her husband’s discomfort, he had to film the scene that included slow-motion shots. Speaking candidly in a video, Gunn admitted that shooting the scene wasn’t exactly easy from a personal standpoint.“It wasn’t only that I had to direct you kissing a man,” Gunn recalled in a behind-the-scenes clip, but added, “It was that I had to direct you kissing a man in front of 200, 300 extras.”The director confessed that the moment initially felt “uncomfortable.” Talking about shooting the romantic scene, he said, “The whole thing was kind of weird, before it happened. I was uncomfortable by it. I was like ‘I don’t wanna do this’.”However, once the cameras started rolling, Gunn said “But once we were doing it, I didn’t give a shit. It was totally fine. I was looking at the kiss and loving it because it was these beautiful shots. Some of the best shots from the series are in that sequence.”
John Cena’s wife Shay was also on set
Jennifer added, “It wasn’t great for John either, his wife Shay was down on the sets.”Gunn added, “Shay was sitting with me the whole time watching it so…”‘Peacemaker’ Season 2, directed by Gunn and starring John Cena and Jennifer Holland, continues the story of DC’s irreverent antihero following the events of ‘The Suicide Squad’. The series is currently streaming on HBO Max in USA.
