Olivia Munn explains unlikely friendship with 'Long Island Medium' star, why she wouldn’t play female Bond
Olivia Munn explains her unlikely friendship with 'Long Island Medium' star Theresa Caputo and why she wouldn’t play a female James Bond. The actress also dishes on her new STARZ series titled 'The Rook.'
Olivia Munn may have played a superhero in the past, but when it comes to the superpower of connecting with the dead she concedes to her friend Theresa Caputo.
“[Caputo] is a very close friend of mine and she’s amazing,” the 38-year-old told Fox News about the “Long Island Medium” star.
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“The first time I met her, she knew something that no one in the world knew at all,” continued Munn. “But I was a skeptic and I was like ‘OK,’ and then she didn’t know that she was going to meet me. We just happened to run into each other. And then she started saying these things and there was no way. The short of it is that I had a piece of jewelry remade that no one knew that I had it remade. She was like, ‘Oh, your grandmother is really happy that you had a replicate made of this.’ And no one in the world knew, which was very crazy.”
But these days, Munn is hoping to leave viewers just as stunned with her latest role. The actress is suiting up for a new sci-fi series, “The Rook,” which is based on the namesake novel by Daniel O’Malley and was originally adapted by Stephanie Meyer, of “Twilight” fame. The Starz show centers on a young woman (Emma Greenwell) pursued by paranormal adversaries while grappling with shocking abilities of her own.
Munn previously admitted she’s a fan of British spy films and was therefore compelled to appear in a “classic British spy thriller.” But when asked if she would ever consider taking on the role of a female James Bond, undoubtedly the most famous British Secret Service agent in the world, Munn said she wouldn’t immediately jump at the chance.
“Emma should play the female Bond,” said Munn, referring to her "Rook" co-star. “... I believe that it’s a very big thing — you have to be British or Scottish.”
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When Greenwell pointed out that British actor Robert Pattison actor is poised to star as the next Batman, an American character, Munn joked, “You guys keep coming over to America and taking our jobs.”
Both Greenwell and Munn say that working on “The Rook” has been an adventure. The series is known for featuring a prominent female cast, including Joely Richardson, sister of the late Natasha Richardson, as well as Ruth Madeley and Catherine Steadman.
“It just feels really good,” said Munn. “We are all so close and to be able to work alongside these two amazing creators who are women and to be able to start off the show for our first two episodes with Kari Skogland, an amazing director who is also a woman and then the other cast members — it’s a very good feeling.”
“It feels self-changing,” said Greenwell. “I feel really proud to be part of a show that is so female-centric and has all these [women] in front and behind the camera. It feels good and exciting and I’m really proud to say that we do have all these women involved on all levels. It’s great.”
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Munn said she feels the world has changed for women like her following the Time’s Up and #MeToo movements that rocked Hollywood. Both movements compelled women to come forward with allegations of abuse and harassment in the workforce.
“It’s like the world woke up and it’s just really nice to be here today,” said Munn.
“About time,” said Greenwell. “I mean, I think it’s great and I think we’re moving forward and it’s a changing climate that we’re all very excited to be a part of. People have been incredibly brave and that’s continuing to move forward and make better for everyone.”
Munn recently told Women’s Health for its July/August 2019 issue that after a stressful two years working in Hollywood, she broke out in a rash that covered her body and doctors couldn’t figure out what was causing it.
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At the time, Munn was part of the sexual harassment and assault accusations brought against director-producer Brett Ratner in 2017. Then in 2018, she spoke out against sharing scenes with a registered sex offender in her movie “The Predator.”
Munn told the outlet she believed the rash and her allegations are linked and caused by the extreme amounts of stress she was dealing with.
“One of the things that stresses me out more than anything is how do we do right by [the people who spoke out in the Time's Up movement]?"
“It’s infuriating. We can’t tell stories about people and then not care about them. You can pretend to be a real-life hero in movies and TV shows and on Instagram, but the real advocates are the ones who stand beside the people who make a difference in the world," she added.
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Munn's rash has since subsided after trying different remedies such as ancient Chinese healing techniques and infrared-heated crystal mats. She also attempted to practice meditation but finds it "hard" to get into the right head space.
"The tough thing for me about meditating is thinking, Am I doing it right? Did I do this for nothing? Do I have to start all over? My brain begins to spin," she explained.
Munn also relied on martial arts. She started taekwondo as a child and picked it up again in 2015 while training for a movie.
“When you do martial arts, it makes you feel like you’re physically capable of anything,” she insisted. “And the great side effect is that when you’re in your best shape, you actually will look your best too.”
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Actress Olivia Munn joined the cast of History Channel's "Six" for Season 2. (Courtesy of The History Channel.)
And over the years, Munn has kept herself busy in front of the camera. In 2018, she appeared on History Channel’s “Six,” which followed Navy SEAL Team Six as they embarked on a mission to destroy a terrorist network responsible for the shooting of their former team leader. Munn played CIA officer Gina Cline.
"My character, she is based off real CIA officers,” Munn told Fox News at the time. “There’s a lot of women in the CIA, but she’s come in and she’s got a personal vendetta. What was really important to me was to depict it in a way that’s very realistic to what actually happens.
"Right now, with our government and how everything is so polarizing, and you’re watching… On the news every day, it’s like some crazy decision that’s being made and people don’t always think about our men and women who go out into the field and put their lives on the line and lose their lives...You watch these guys who are, honestly, so brave and are truly heroes because they put their lives on the line for millions of people that they’ll never, ever meet."
Munn, who said she was a fan of the show before being cast in it, claimed the role was a natural fit. She said growing up in a multiethnic military family helped her not only become Cline but also appreciate the character's no-nonsense approach to fighting back for America.
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“Growing up in a military family makes this show very near and dear to my heart,” she said. “I wouldn’t even say it’s surreal, it just felt very natural. The military is a world that I feel very comfortable in. In representing the people within that and within our government, within our military.
"It’s something that I just took a lot of pride in and felt really honored to be able to do this role. As Americans, we know that we are such a powerful country. With that, our men and women who are in the military and armed forces put their lives on the line all the time.”
"The Rook" airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on Starz.
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