Jonah Hill has opened up about his experiences with filmmaker David O. Russell during a live taping of the Smartless podcast on Saturday. The 42-year-old actor recalled making his film debut at age 21 on Russell's cult comedy I Heart Huckabees, describing the director as 'f***ing nuts' at the time.
Hill Recalls On-Set Tensions
During the podcast hosted by Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes, Hill stated that Russell, now 67, was 'buck wild' during the production of I Heart Huckabees. Despite the chaos, Hill noted that they have remained friends. 'I'm like homies with him. He's awesome — super nice guy — but in that moment in life — and I've had my own, trust me — he was buck wild, dude,' Hill said.
Hill referenced leaked behind-the-scenes footage from 2007 showing Russell shouting at co-star Lily Tomlin and throwing items on set. 'He was screaming at Lily Tomlin. It's online and s***. And he'll talk about it,' Hill added. Tomlin and Russell later downplayed the incident, with Tomlin telling The Hollywood Reporter in 2015 that they 'made up in just a few hours' and that the fight 'wasn't any big deal.'
Another Alleged Fight Witnessed
Hill also recalled witnessing a physical altercation between Russell and production designer K.K. Barrett on his first day on set. 'Everyone's screaming at each other. The first time I walked on set, [Russell] and K.K. Barrett... were joking around, wrestling, and then it turned into a real fight,' Hill said. He joked that he thought, 'Hollywood is so tight! This is so cool.' However, the experience stayed with him, and he promised Barrett that if he ever directed a film, he would hire him as production designer. Hill revealed that they later worked together on his newest movie, calling it 'full circle, 20 years later.'
Russell's History of Controversy
Russell has a well-documented history of on-set conflicts, including a viral shouting match with Tomlin and an alleged physical fight with George Clooney on Three Kings, which led Clooney to call Russell 'a miserable f***.' In 2013, Russell was accused of making Amy Adams's life 'a living hell' on the set of American Hustle, which Adams later confirmed in a 2016 interview with British GQ. Additionally, in 2011, Russell's transgender niece accused him of sexual assault, though the case was closed due to lack of witnesses. More recently, Russell was reported to have allegedly punched Sony executive Sanford Panitch at Chanel's 2024 Oscars afterparty.
Hill's Decision to Leave Hollywood
In the same interview, Hill explained why he and his wife, Olivia Millar, chose to raise their two children in San Diego rather than Los Angeles. 'I wanted to leave LA and raise a family outside of Los Angeles,' he said. Hill moved three years ago to 'a very small town' with 'incredible' neighbors who 'never treat me weird or ask me about my job.' He described his wife as 'my best friend' and gave her a shoutout from the stage. Hill also reflected on his LA upbringing in the 1990s, highlighting the access to show business and counterculture before the internet era.
Hill and Millar, daughter of supermodel Esmé Marshall, were first spotted together in September 2022 and had their first child in June 2023. Hill earlier revealed his marital status and fatherhood during a conversation with Martin Scorsese, stating, 'The only thing that could separate me from my family is the editing room.'
