Benny Safdie's Biggest Acting Pet Peeve Will Surprise You
The acclaimed director and actor opens up about what drives him crazy on set, his extreme dedication to authenticity, and his upcoming Hollywood projects including a new Christopher Nolan epic.
The year 2025 marked a pivotal moment for the renowned Safdie brothers in Hollywood. Josh Safdie helmed the Academy Award-contending ping-pong drama Marty Supreme, while his younger sibling Benny delivered The Smashing Machine, another potential Oscar contender. Dwayne Johnson's powerhouse performance in Benny's mixed martial arts film could very well earn him a golden statue come March.
Having stepped in front of the camera himself in Christopher Nolan's acclaimed Oppenheimer, the Star Wars series Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Paul Thomas Anderson's Licorice Pizza, Benny has developed strong opinions about on-screen performances. His biggest frustration with fellow performers might catch you off guard.
The Food Fight That Drives Him Crazy
Speaking candidly with GQ, Safdie revealed his most maddening pet peeve: "I hate it when people don't eat (on camera). It destroys me." This isn't just casual criticism – he practices what he preaches with almost obsessive dedication.
During filming of Anderson's 2021 feature, Safdie committed fully to a dining sequence, consuming actual food in every single take. "I don't know how many tiramisus I ate, but it must have been 30," he recalled. His commitment to authenticity extended to his work on The Curse alongside Nathan Fielder and Emma Stone, where he managed to down "60 chips in one take, and we must have had nine takes."
Brotherhood and Creative Independence
The Safdie duo first gained serious recognition with their anxiety-inducing thrillers Good Time in 2017, featuring Robert Pattinson, followed by 2019's Uncut Gems, which showcased Adam Sandler in what many consider his finest dramatic performance. Both films established their reputation for creating relentlessly tense cinematic experiences.
After nearly seven years of collaboration, the brothers chose to pursue individual projects. Josh focused on Marty Supreme and an Adam Sandler Netflix special, while Benny developed his own vision. However, they're reportedly planning a reunion with Sandler for an unnamed upcoming project.
Explaining their temporary separation to Esquire, Benny reflected: "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."
Future Projects on the Horizon
Safdie's acting schedule remains packed with high-profile commitments. He'll return to work with Christopher Nolan in the epic adventure The Odyssey, joining what appears to be half of Hollywood's A-list talent not already committed to Avengers Doomsday. Additionally, he'll voice Bowser Jr. in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the highly anticipated follow-up to Chris Pratt's 2023 animated hit.
Behind the camera, he's preparing to direct the intriguingly titled Lizard Musi, reuniting with Dwayne Johnson. The project follows a young boy who discovers a group of reptilian musicians during late-night television and embarks on a quest to find them. Fortunately for Safdie, animated voice work means he won't have to worry about performers avoiding their meals during recording sessions.