Legendary Hollywood director Christopher Nolan has hit back at claims that he bans chairs on his sets and explained instead what he does ban.
“For the record, the only things banned from [Christopher Nolan’s] sets are cell phones (not always successfully) and smoking (very successfully),” Kelly Bush Novak, spokesperson for the 49-year-old filmmaker, shared in a statement to IndieWire.com in a piece published Tuesday. (RELATED: Anne Hathaway Reveals She’s Not An Alcoholic, Just A Heavy Drinker)
Christopher Nolan doesn’t allow chairs on set says Anne Hathaway — ‘His reasoning is, if you have chairs, people will sit, and if they’re sitting, they’re not working’
(via @Variety | https://t.co/K8zj5J87NL) pic.twitter.com/S2qAHoZN8J
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“The chairs Anne [Hathaway] was referring to are the directors chairs clustered around the video monitor, allocated on the basis of hierarchy not physical need,” the statement added. “Chris [Nolan] chooses not to use his but has never banned chairs from the set. Cast and crew can sit wherever and whenever they need and frequently do.” (REVIEW: ‘Westworld’ Season 3 Ends With The Possible Deaths Of Multiple Characters)
“The Dark Knight Rises” director’s comments came in response to one’s made by actress Hathaway during Variety’s “Actors on Actors” video interview with fellow actor Hugh Jackman in which she praised Nolan for not allowing chairs on set.
Nolan “doesn’t allow chairs, and his reasoning is, if you have chairs, people will sit, and if they’re sitting, they’re not working,” the 37-year-old actress explained.
“I mean, he has these incredible movies in terms of scope and ambition and technical prowess and emotion,” she added. “It always arrives at the end under schedule and under budget. I think he’s onto something with the chair thing.”