Director Who Dissed Lukas Gage’s Apartment Comes Clean and Formally Apologizes
Euphoria actor Lukas Gage went viral last week after sharing a clip on Twitter of a director talking about his apartment.
Some netizens and fellow entertainers came to his defense and offered words of support while indirectly taking aim at the anonymous voice in the video. Now, the director is coming forward to identify himself, take ownership, and offer an apology.
Lukas Gage was the talk of the web
Gage—who plays Tyler in Euphoria—had the internet buzzing when he dropped the video of his awkward audition exchange which took place on Zoom. Gage captioned his tweet with, “psa if youre a sh*t talking director make sure to mute ur sh*t on zoom mtgings” and the video has since racked up more than 9 million views.
The director had a hot mic moment when he commented on Gage’s surroundings and said, “These poor people live in these tiny apartments, like I’m looking at his background and he’s got his TV…” before Gage nervously interrupted him.
“I know this is a sh*tty apartment,” he replied. “Give me this job so I can get a better one.” The man regretted what he said on the call and said sorry.
Celebrities such as Judd Apatow, Leslie Jordan, Billy Eicher, and Zelda Williams were among those who chimed in to show solidarity along with fans.
Director identified as Tristram Shapeero
TMZ tracked down director Tristram Shapeero and asked him about the incident. He did not want to address the matter directly with the outlet but did say the meaning of what he said and the word “poor” were taken out of context.
He added the audition happened three months ago. Shapeero’s worked on projects such as Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Community.
Shapeero extends apology to Gage
Shapeero issued a formal apology to Gage via Deadline. In it, he introduced himself and owned the fact that it was him in the video. Shapeero then apologized to Gage:
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. My job is to evaluate performers against the part I am trying to cast. Lukas deserved better.
He explained he and his team were amazed at those auditioning during lockdown and wrote they were “deeply moved by the passion of these young people under the extraordinary circumstances.”
He did not mean to come off as condescending. “I was using the word ‘poor’ in the sense of deserving sympathy, as opposed to any economic judgment,” Shapeero wrote.
“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.”
He closed out his apology by stating he intends to move forward as a more empathetic person and better partner to the actors. The full letter can be viewed on Deadline.
