Olivia Wilde revealed that Penélope Cruz surprised her by improvising a kiss between their characters while filming The Invite. The 42-year-old actress admitted that the unexpected moment left her so speechless that her “mind went blank.”
Olivia Wilde recalls that Penélope Cruz’s unscripted kiss during The Invite left her momentarily speechless
Wilde, best known for starring in blockbuster films such as Tron: Legacy and Cowboys & Aliens, discussed the unexpected kiss on the July 8 episode of Jessie Ware’s Table Manners podcast. The actress recalled being so stunned that she broke character and turned her head to look directly into the camera. The moment ultimately remained in the final cut of the film, which was released in theaters globally on June 26, 2026.
The Emmy Award winner, who is also the director of the film, said a camera operator called her name after the unexpected moment, and she instinctively responded, “Cut. Namaste,” reports Page Six. She further explained that the word was the only thing that came to mind. “Everyone was like, ‘What?’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know.’” Wilde described that the moment left her so overwhelmed that her “mind went blank.” She admitted, “I lost control. I was so madly in love with her.”
During the episode, Wilde joined the co-hosts in praising Cruz as “the sexiest woman alive” and playfully joked, “I was like, ‘Oh! Hair in the gate. Do [the scene] again!'”
According to Entertainment Weekly, The Invite, which stars Seth Rogen and Edward Norton alongside Wilde and Cruz, was adapted by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack from the 2020 Spanish film The People Upstairs. This film marks Wilde’s third directorial effort after Booksmart (2019), which earned WGA and BAFTA nominations for Best Original Screenplay, and Don’t Worry Darling (2022), which stars her ex-boyfriend Harry Styles.
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