Josh Brolin Nearly Walked Away from Ridley Scott’s “The Dog Stars” Over Unconventional Rehearsal Practices

During an interview with *Empire*, actor Josh Brolin disclosed that, upon arriving at the set of Ridley Scott’s post-apocalyptic film *The Dog Stars*, he felt unsettled by the director’s rehearsal approach. Brolin said he called his agent to request removal, believing “something’s really wrong” and that he needed to leave immediately.

The Wrap

Scott’s current directing style emphasizes minimal rehearsals, aiming to preserve a “fresh” energy when cameras roll. According to Brolin, the director preferred storytelling and spontaneous direction over traditional, extended run-throughs, a method that initially conflicted with the actor’s expectations for structured preparation.

The Wrap

Brolin arrived on location after completing back-to-back shoots for *Weapons*, *Wake Up Dead Man*, and *The Running Man*. *The Dog Stars* pairs him with Jacob Elordi as two survivors navigating a world devastated by a lethal flu pandemic. The film’s setting and narrative demand a heightened sense of immediacy, which Scott sought to capture through his rehearsal philosophy.

The Wrap

Brolin later described a shift in his perception after a brief adjustment period. He noted that once he embraced the director’s on-set dynamics, the collaboration became “stratospherically creative and stratospherically dangerous,” ultimately ranking the project among the most satisfying of his career. He credited a specific scene rehearsal in Scott’s trailer for catalyzing his engagement.

The Wrap

The actor’s early comments highlighted discomfort with the lack of conventional rehearsal, characterizing the experience as “bugged” and “scary.” This criticism underscores a broader tension between established acting processes and a director’s preference for improvisational momentum, illustrating the challenges actors may face when adapting to unconventional production methods.

The Wrap

The incident demonstrates that a director’s methodological choices can directly affect talent retention and morale on set. It highlights tension between artistic spontaneity and actor preparation, a dynamic that may influence a film’s creative outcome and future collaborations within the industry.

The Wrap

• “Ridley was talking a lot of stories and not really rehearsing, and it bugged me out, and I got really scared,” — Josh Brolin, Actor

The Wrap

• “I went back, called my agent and said, ‘I want out. Something’s really wrong, and I’ve got to get the f–k out of here.’ Luckily my agent is a close friend and he said, ‘Rest for a day.’ I was like, ‘No, man, I know what the f–k you’re doing. It’s not one of those day-things.’ And I was right.” — Josh Brolin, Actor

The Wrap

• “ He added: “It took about a day or two for me to really embrace that, and then I got super into it because it was stratospherically creative and stratospherically dangerous.” — Josh Brolin, Actor

The Wrap

• “[Ridley] goes, ‘Come here,’ and he brought me into his trailer, and played the scene we had just finished,” — Josh Brolin, Actor

The Wrap

• “It took about a day or two for me to really embrace that, and then I got super into it because it was stratospherically creative and stratospherically dangerous. It was like, ‘This is what I’ve been asking for but now I’m getting it, I’m fighting it, because there’s zero comfort in it.’ It became one of the more creative, satisfying projects that I’ve ever been involved with.” — Josh Brolin, Actor

The Wrap

*The Dog Stars* is scheduled to open in theaters on August 28.

The Wrap