‘Too Old’ for the Role Olivia Wilde’s (42) Rejection Led to Something Even Bigger
Olivia Wilde didn’t always have a smooth journey in Hollywood, but one missed role ended up shaping her career in a completely different way.
Before moving into directing, Wilde built her name as an actress, though not all of her projects were successful. Films like Third Person, The Change-Up, and Cowboys & Aliens received negative reactions, and she has often spoken about the challenges women face in the industry, especially when it comes to age and casting.
Her career took a turn when she stepped behind the camera. Her directorial debut Booksmart was a major success and earned praise for its fresh take on the coming-of-age comedy. She followed it with Don’t Worry Darling, a psychological thriller that sparked controversy but still showed her willingness to take creative risks. More recently, she directed The Invite, which was well received at Sundance and later picked up by A24.
In interviews, Wilde has said that Martin Scorsese has been one of her biggest influences. Ironically, her connection to him began with a rejection.
She once auditioned for the role of Naomi Lapaglia in The Wolf of Wall Street. At the time, she was told she was too “sophisticated” for the role, though she later realized the real reason was that she was considered too old. The part ultimately went to Margot Robbie.
Wilde has said she didn’t hold any grudges. “She’s perfect, she kicked so much ass in the movie,” she said. “I have some ability to cut off emotionally. The second I don’t get a role, it’s dead to me.”
Even though she didn’t land the role, her audition left a strong impression on Scorsese. He later cast her in the pilot of the HBO series Vinyl, which became an important moment in her career.
Vinyl was an ambitious period drama set in the 1970s music industry. It followed a record executive in New York and featured a strong creative team behind the scenes, including Mick Jagger, Martin Scorsese, Rich Cohen, and Terence Winter. The series premiered on HBO in February 2016 and ran for one season of ten episodes, with Scorsese directing the pilot.
Despite high expectations and big names involved, the show struggled to connect with audiences. Although HBO initially renewed it for a second season, the decision was later reversed and the series was canceled just a few months after its debut. HBO later admitted that the show simply didn’t perform as expected. Scorsese himself later described the cancellation as “tragic” and said the series might have worked better if he had been more involved throughout.
For Wilde, however, the short-lived project still had a lasting impact. She later described working on Vinyl as a dream job and saw it as proof that missed opportunities can lead somewhere unexpected.
“It shows that if you don’t get something, job interview, whatever you do for a living, it might lead to something else,” she said.
The cancellation of Vinyl ended up giving Wilde something she didn’t have before — time. Without the commitment of continuing the series, she was able to focus on developing her first film as a director, which ultimately changed the direction of her career.
Years later, both Wilde and Scorsese showed they could look back on it all with some humor. They appeared as exaggerated versions of themselves in the Apple TV+ comedy The Studio, alongside Seth Rogen.
What started as a rejected audition eventually helped Wilde move into directing and redefine her place in the industry.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!