Director slurs actor’s flat in Zoom blunder
A LEADING Hollywood TV director caught criticising an actor’s “tiny apartment” while unmuted during a virtual audition has been forced to apologise.
Tristram Shapeero, 54, has admitted making the “hot mic” comments on Zoom after a session with Euphoria star Lukas Gage, 25.
Gage shared a video of their exchange on social media on Friday, in which the then-unnamed director can be heard commenting on his background.
Thinking he could not be heard Shapeero said: “These poor people live in these tiny apartments. Like, I’m looking at his, you know, background and he’s got his TV.”
Gage, smiling, replies: “I know it’s a s---- apartment, so just give me this job so I can get a better one.”
British- born Shapeero, who has worked on shows including The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Brooklyn Nine-nine, has now come forward to offer a sincere apology after being “mortified”
by the incident. “I was using the word ‘poor’ in the sense of deserving sympathy, as opposed to any economic j udgment,” he wrote on showbiz website Deadline.
He said: “This Zoom audition took place in August, after four months of lockdown.
“A number of my co-workers were also on the auditions, which happened over several days.
“It was emotional to see actors work so hard to win the few parts available and we were deeply moved by the passion of these young people under the extraordinary circumstances.”
He also praised Gage for his “quick-witted” response.