Benny Safdie’s On-Set Gripe: Why Actors Avoid Eating
Benny Safdie opens up about his biggest frustration with actors, shares behind-the-scenes stories from his career, and hints at future collaborations and projects.
2025 marked a landmark year for the Safdie brothers. Josh Safdie helmed the much-talked-about table tennis drama Marty Supreme, which is already being tipped for Oscar recognition, while Benny Safdie released The Smashing Machine, a contender likely to feature in next year’s awards conversation. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s performance in Benny’s MMA drama is already drawing attention, and Benny himself is no stranger to acting, having appeared in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer (2023), the Star Wars offshoot Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza.
Given his experience both behind and in front of the camera, it’s perhaps unsurprising that Benny has strong opinions about actors’ habits. Speaking to GQ, he revealed a particular irritation:
“I hate it when people don’t eat (on camera). It destroys me.”
His commitment to authenticity is such that, during a dinner scene in Anderson’s 2021 film, he made a point of eating in every take.
“I don’t know how many tiramisus I ate, but it must have been 30.”
He adopted a similar approach while filming The Curse with Nathan Fielder and Emma Stone, recalling,
“60 chips in one take, and we must have had nine takes…”
Safdie Brothers’ Signature Films and Solo Ventures
For those yet to experience the Safdie brothers’ distinctive style, their earlier works—2017’s Good Time and 2019’s Uncut Gems—are essential viewing. Good Time features a gripping turn from Robert Pattinson, while Uncut Gems sees Adam Sandler deliver what many consider a career-best performance in a film as tense as anything Kathryn Bigelow has produced.
After these successes, the brothers chose to pursue separate creative paths. Josh focused on Marty Supreme and an Adam Sandler special for Netflix. Benny, meanwhile, reflected on the decision to work independently, telling Esquire,
“We had started out making movies separately, in college. And then we were always working towards something, and when we reached that place, it was almost like, ‘Oh, well, what now?’ Then it was like, ‘I’m interested in this,’ and ‘I’m interested in this,’ and then you want to figure that out. It just felt like a continuation of a process.”
Upcoming Projects and a Possible Reunion
There are signs the brothers may soon reunite, with talk of another collaboration with Adam Sandler on an as-yet-untitled project. Benny, however, remains busy both as an actor and director. He is set to appear in Christopher Nolan’s forthcoming action epic The Odyssey, joining a cast packed with Hollywood’s finest not otherwise engaged with Avengers Doomsday. He will also voice Bowser Jr in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie sequel, following the success of the 2023 Chris Pratt-led original. Fortunately, as this is an animated feature, he won’t have to fret about actors refusing to eat on set.
Benny’s directorial ambitions continue as well, with the offbeat Lizard Musi in the pipeline. This film, starring Dwayne Johnson, follows a young boy’s quest to track down a group of lizard musicians glimpsed on late-night television. It’s another example of the Safdie penchant for the unusual, and a testament to Benny’s refusal to rest on his laurels.