After Euphoria star Lukas Gage posted video of a director’s accidentally unmuted comments during his Zoom audition, apparently filmed in August, fans went wild trying to identify the unseen British director via his speaking voice. After a weekend of speculation, prolific TV director Tristram Shapeero penned an apology for his commentary on “poor†actors with “tiny†apartments Monday evening, despite telling TMZ earlier in the day, “I don’t have any apology, because I didn’t say anything bad.â€
“First and foremost, I offer Mr. Gage a sincere and unvarnished apology for my offensive words, my unprofessional behavior during the audition and for not giving him the focus and attention he deserved,†Shapeero says in an essay published on Deadline. “My job is to evaluate performers against the part I am trying to cast. Lukas deserved better.â€
The director says he was actually expressing sympathy for artists trying to land gigs from home, many of whom, like Gage, must DIY a space to audition where they can. “I was using the word ‘poor’ in the sense of deserving sympathy, as opposed to any economic judgment,†Shapeero says. “My words were being spoken from a genuine place of appreciation for what the actors were having to endure, stuck in confined spaces, finding it within themselves to give a role-winning performance under these conditions.â€
“As I say on the video, I’m mortified about what happened,†says the director, who can be heard apologizing on Gage’s video. “While I can’t put the proverbial toothpaste back in the tube, I move forward from this incident a more empathetic man; a more focused director and I promise, an even better partner to actors from the audition process to the final cut.â€
According to “Page Six,†Gage did not land the job.