‘I think people want me to feel objectified – but I don’t’

The Independent’s entertainment newsletter [SUBSCRIBE]( [SUBSCRIBE]( July 15, 2023 [View in browser](   The premiere for Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan’s starry epic new film, has been long anticipated. But this week, the event turned out to be almost as dramatic as the three-hour film itself. Its big name cast, Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt and Florence Pugh among them, walked the red carpet before [leaving abruptly](: a historic Hollywood joint strike by both actors and writers – the first in 60 years – had just been called. Since May, writers have been striking, demanding better profit shares and conditions, as well as reassurances that jobs will not be threatened by AI, and now actors are joining them. For [this week’s State of the Arts](, Claire Allfree writes that actors may struggle for sympathy due to the preconception that they are all “luvvies” with charmed lives – but, aside from the biggest stars, [their labour has long been under-valued](. 'Oppenheimer' stars on the red carpet before the strike was called (Getty) It’s already thought that production on the new Gladiator and Avatar films will be impacted by the strike, and we’ll be[bringing you all the latest updates on how the action will affect the wider entertainment industry](. As the Oppenheimer premiere indicated, it also means some stars won’t be able to fulfil press duties for the foreseeable. Fortunately, Jacob Stolworthy spoke to Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy before the shutdown – look out for his interview next weekend. Elsewhere this week: the 2023 Proms kicked off last night, and [Michael Church has a guide to this year’s unmissable highlights for all classical music lovers](. Yayoi Kusama is everywhere, and not just on your Instagram feed;[Alastair Smart wrote about her enduring popularity](. Louis Chilton is not convinced by Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning’s [“no-plot, just-vibes” screenplay](. And [Tim Bano’s review of Dr Semmelweis](describes a bewitching but sometimes disorientating performance from Mark Rylance. Jessie [@jessiecath](   What to do this weekend Books | [Devotions by Mary Oliver]( There's a gorgeous new edition of the selected work of American poet Mary Oliver, who died in 2019 at the age of 83, and I've been dipping in and out of it all week. It's pure heaven. Oliver's poems are so accessible, and so alive to the wonder of the natural world; five minutes with them just makes everything seem a bit better. Jessie Thompson | Arts editor [@jessiecath](   Theatre | [Cuckoo]( Michael Wynne's new comedy drama, about three generations of women in a Liverpool family, opened at the Royal Court this week - the final show to be directed there by artistic director Vicky Featherstone. Don't miss our interview with her tomorrow, as she discusses the play and what she's learned from a decade of running the Sloane Square new writing venue. Jessie Thompson | Arts editor [@jessiecath](   Film | [Bird Box Barcelona]( Remember Bird Box? The Sandra Bullock Netflix horror movie where she had to blindfold herself lest she look at creepy demons who inspire self-harm? That absolutely everyone watched in Christmas 2018 and then absolutely never spoke of again? Well here’s its belated spin-off sequel! Bird Box Barcelona is more or less a Spain-set remake of the original, albeit without its main attraction – having learnt her lesson from Speed 2 and Miss Congeniality: Armed & Fabulous, Bullock has chosen to sit this one out. Mario Casas and Alejandra Howard play a father-and-daughter besieged by the same post-apocalyptic meanies that terrorised Bullock years ago, and have to flee for their lives through the streets of Barcelona. Streaming on Netflix now Adam White | Film editor [@__adamwhite](   Music | [Proms 2023]( The world's biggest classical music festival is back, and a series of spine-tingling concerts will be taking place around the UK (although mainly, still, at the Royal Albert Hall) right up until September. Michael Church has the [must-book guide to this year's highlights](. Jessie Thompson | Arts editor [@jessiecath](   TV | [Hijack]( Idris Elba is in his absolute element in this heart-pounding aviation thriller, as a super sleek, smooth businessman negotiating with a gang of criminals on a passenger plane. While you’ve got to suspend your disbelief slightly, it's not hard to stuck in to the drama as the vessel swoops closer and closer to an oblivious London. We're four episodes in already so don’t delay – time to jump on board. Ellie Harrison | TV editor [@Ellie_Harrison](     [The Saturday Interview – Aidan Turner]( [Oscars image]( Aidan Turner stars in Prime Video's new MeToo tennis drama 'Fifteen-Love' (ITV/Shutterstock) I had a lot of fun [chatting to Poldark star Aidan Turner]( for this week's Saturday Interview. We [discussed his new #MeToo tennis drama Fifteen-Love](, plus male objectification, sex scenes, juggling family and work life, and his new projects with Jilly Cooper and Terrence Malick. Turner in 'Fifteen-Love' (Prime Video) Read an extract from our Saturday Interview below… Since taking his top off in BBC’s historic drama Poldark in 2015, and sending hearts aflutter, the Irish actor has been on the receiving end of relentless hand-wringing questions about the politics and ethics of objectifying men. I confess the debate has always frustrated me. It seems to deliberately miss the point: finding people attractive isn’t illegal! The problem is when a person is only allowed to be an object, which happens to women more than men. “It probably feels different than it would for a woman, certainly,” he muses. “Some women might feel there’s a danger that comes with it. I don’t feel like I’m in danger. If a woman is objectified and she has men leering at her, that quickly becomes a different situation to one that I might be in, even if the situation can be read as similar.” And it does, he agrees, all get a bit silly. “There’s so little in it, for me, it’s almost difficult to talk about. It’s like: some people found that, when I took my top off for that scene, there was something titillating. So what? Who cares? The fact that people ask me or care what I think – I have so little to say,” he says, exasperation growing increasingly palpable. [Read the full interview here](   Weekend Shelf-Care Weekend Shelf-Care Chloe Ashby The wonderful arts journalist Chloe Ashby is also a fantastic novelist, and her second book, following her debut, Wet Paint, is released this month. In Second Self, an art conservationist in her thirties is grappling with the question: do I want to have a child? A book I recently read and loved is… Claire Dederer’s Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma, which puzzles through the problem of what we ought to do about great art by bad men. I’d love to see this translated into an exhibition. My three fantasy literary dinner party guests would be… Emily Dickinson, Lorrie Moore, Virginia Woolf. Not finishing books: my stance is… Life is too short, and my to-read pile too tall, to spend time reading something I’m not enjoying. My writing routine is… … in flux. I write every day, but whether that’s fiction or a review/interview/feature depends. Early mornings are my favourite time, before my inbox starts to ding. Mid-afternoon slumps are alleviated by taking my dog, Clover, for a walk. I do my best to keep my evenings free. 'Second Self' is out now, published by Trapeze Enjoy a year of unlimited digital access for just £99 £20 ✓ Full access to Premium news analysis ✓ Advert-free reading across web and app ✓ The Independent Daily Edition newspaper ✓ Puzzles, virtual event tickets and more [SUBSCRIBE NOW](   [INDYBEST]( / [BEST BUYS]( [12 best changing robe for camping, outdoor watersports and beach days]( These [insulated, waterproof coats]( keep you warm and dry (and bang on trend). 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