Olivia Wilde described her on-screen kiss with Penelope Cruz in the film "The Invite" as a moment that left her so surprised, her mind went blank. Wilde recounted the scene on the "Table Manners" podcast, explaining that Cruz improvised the kiss, which ultimately made it into the final cut of the movie.
"My mind went blank because I was so struck by this moment," Wilde told the podcast hosts. "I lost control. I was so madly in love with her."
After the kiss, Wilde's immediate reaction was to say, "Cut. Namaste!" She recalled the absurdity of her response, noting that the cast and crew were confused. "That’s the only thing that came to my mind. ‘Namaste.’ And everyone was like, ‘What?’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know.’"
Wilde, who also directed "The Invite," initially had reservations about acting in the film, feeling she was a better director than actor at that point. However, her co-stars encouraged her to take on the role of Angela.
The film features Wilde and Seth Rogen as a couple propositioned by Cruz's character, Pína, and Edward Norton's character, Hawk. Wilde also shared her thoughts on Cruz's transformative performance, particularly her decision to wear a platinum-blond wig.
"[Cruz] said, ‘I need it, because I need to depart from myself physically in order to transform personality-wise,’" Wilde told The Au Review. "The second she put that wig on, it was a full transformation." Wilde praised Cruz for layering in different elements into the role "like a lasagna."