In a recent interview, Skyler Gisondo, who plays Jimmy Olsen in the upcoming Superman movie, shared a hilarious mix-up from his casting process.
Gisondo, who portrays the young photographer at the Daily Planet, revealed how he initially believed he was auditioning for the role of Superman instead of Jimmy Olsen. The story is funny but also shows how fate played a role in landing him the part of Jimmy.
The Audition Confusion
Gisondo explained that the casting process for superhero films is often secretive and full of mystery. The actors rarely receive much information about the film or their roles.
In his case, he received an audition email and, for some reason, mistakenly thought it was for Superman, not Jimmy Olsen. As Gisondo skimmed through the email, he believed that he was auditioning for the role of the Man of Steel.
With this misunderstanding in mind, he filmed his audition tape thinking it was for Superman. He went on with the process, only to find out later that it was for Jimmy Olsen.
When the filmmakers wanted him to move forward in the process, he realized his mistake. The story made its way to director James Gunn, who, according to Gisondo, laughed harder than he had ever seen him laugh before.
A Twist of Fate for Skyler Gisondo
The mix-up is ironic because another actor, Nicholas Hoult, also initially auditioned for Superman instead of his eventual role as Lex Luthor. Despite the confusion, both Gisondo and Hoult ended up with roles that were a great fit for them.
Gisondo shared how much the role of Jimmy Olsen felt perfect for him. He said that reading the script for the first time felt like a rare experience for an actor.
The character of Jimmy, as written by director James Gunn, seemed to match his voice and personality so well that he couldn’t help but laugh while reading the lines. Gisondo admitted that it was a rare and lucky moment in his career to find such a perfect match.
Finding Himself in Jimmy Olsen
Gisondo went on to explain how he felt fortunate to have landed such a role. He found many qualities of himself in Jimmy Olsen, which made his performance feel natural.
Jimmy is a key character in the Superman universe, and Gisondo’s connection to him allowed him to bring something special to the role. For Gisondo, playing a character with whom he had so much in common felt like a stroke of good fortune.
Despite the initial mix-up about auditioning for Superman, Gisondo seems to have embraced the experience. His humorous take on the misunderstanding shows that he didn’t take it too seriously. In the end, his casting as Jimmy Olsen is a perfect fit, and fans are excited to see him in the role.
