James Cameron was one of Amy Poehler’s most callous jokes at the Golden Globes, a joke he now calls an “ignorant dig” at his expense. In a recent interview with The New York Times, the “Titanic” Oscar winner said Poehler teased her marriage to Bigelow and took things “too far.”
Poehler’s joke was made at the 2013 Golden Globe Awards, where Kathryn Bigelow was nominated for Best Director thanks to Zero Dark Thirty. In her opening monologue with co-host Tina Fey, Poehler nods to the controversy surrounding the film’s depiction of torture, quipping, “When it comes to torture, I trust the woman who was married to James Cameron for three years.” The audience was clearly shocked by the joke, and Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty star Jessica Chastain was stunned.
“Amy Poehler’s comments were an ignorant rant and an unenthusiastic rant at an event that was supposed to be a celebration of film and filmmakers,” Cameron told the Times. “I’m a pretty brazen person, and I’m happy to be the butt of a good-natured joke, but it went too far. The fact that people found it funny says exactly what they think about me, even if they have no idea who I am or how I do my job.”
Cameron Hollywood noted that during the 2009-2010 awards season, “Avatar” and “The Hurt Locker” went head-to-head at various events, including the Oscars, pitting both directors against each other. Bigelow beat Cameron to win the Oscar for Best Director, and “The Hurt Locker” also won Best Picture.
“I was the first one to stand up and applaud,” Cameron said of Bigelow’s Oscar win. “Kathryn and I thought the whole meta-narrative surrounding it was pretty funny. We were a little worried that it would just undermine her credibility as a filmmaker. It started to become conversations that weren’t about her movies, and that bothered both of us.”
Cameron and Bigelow were married from 1989 to 1991. Their romantic relationship extended into their professional careers, as Cameron developed and executive produced Bigelow’s 1991 action film Point Break and co-wrote the 1995 thriller Strange Days. Cameron recently made headlines when he told The Hollywood Reporter that he should have been given full screenwriting credit for Point Break, saying, “I got reprimanded by the Writers Guild for that. It was bullshit.”
W. Peter Iliff, who is credited as a screenwriter on Point Break, responded in a statement to People: “Jim Cameron is my hero. I’m probably his biggest fan and I’m so grateful for his incredible work on Point Break.” There’s enough glory for everyone, and it’s great that Jim is being recognized for his work in turning Point Break into a movie. It’s funny, this movie seems to hold up over the years, but he’s the king and I can’t wait to see his new movie. We have all loved everything he has ever accomplished. ”
To read Mr. Cameron’s complete profile, please visit the New York Times website.
