Sofia Coppola quizzed a number of her female friends and gay pals about actors they liked before casting Colin Farrell in her new movie ‘The Beguiled’.
The 46-year-old director – who is the daughter of filmmaking icon Frances Ford Coppola – has remade Don Siegel’s 1971 film which starred Clint Eastwood as injured Union soldier Corporal John McBurney who is taken into a Confederate girls’ boarding school during the Civil War and goes on to charm his way into the hearts of women of all ages at the institution causing jealousy and betrayal to spread.
Before settling on Farrell to play McBurney, Coppola decided she would get the opinions of her friends on who would be suitable to convincingly convey that sexual tension and yearning on the big screen.
Speaking to Time Out London magazine, Coppola said: "I asked women and gay male friends who they loved. I wanted someone who would be appealing to both. I thought that was the audience I was making the movie for."
Farrell, 41, was joined by an impressive cast of actresses, including Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning and Angourie Rice an Coppola insists the Irish hunk enjoyed the different dynamic of working with so many women.
She said: "It was really fun because usually it’s more guys. Colin was a good sport. I think he enjoyed being surrounded by women. We joked about objectifying him, but he is such a great actor."
Sofia Coppola researched hunks for Beguiled lead
