Blake Lively’s stamp of approval turned out to be the secret push Brandon Sklenar needed to land his latest role.
Director Paul Feig revealed that the actress personally recommended her It Ends With Us co-star while he was finalising the cast for his upcoming psychological thriller The Housemaid.
Speaking to E! News, Feig shared that Lively couldn’t stop praising Sklenar’s talent, prompting him to meet the actor, a meeting that quickly sealed the deal.
Feig, who previously directed Lively in A Simple Favor and its sequel, said he instantly understood why she was so insistent.
Sklenar, who plays Andrew Winchester in the film, later shared that Sydney Sweeney also quietly championed him for the part.
Appearing on the Today show, the actor admitted he was stunned to hear she had pushed his name forward, especially since The Housemaid demanded a drastically different energy from his earlier rugged roles.
Despite his initial surprise, Sklenar said his early meeting with Feig made everything click, describing the filmmaker as someone he connected with immediately.
Feig later confirmed that Lively had been the first to put Sklenar on his radar during reshoots for It Ends With Us, calling the actor “one of the most charismatic people” he’d ever met, and exactly the energy he wanted for the film.
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