Aimee Lou Wood Shares Support from Angelina Jolie on 'Anxious People' Set
Aimee Lou Wood has opened up about gaining confidence to speak up, inspired by an incident during the filming of Anxious People, directed by Marc Forster and co-starring Angelina Jolie.
During an emotional scene, Wood became overwhelmed by multiple crew members shouting directions, which caused her to panic. She asked for clarity, requesting "one direction, one voice, and no hand movements in her line of sight."
“I’ve spent years feeling unable to say anything like that for fear of seeming argumentative – but now I feel like I can take ownership of what I need to thrive, and tell people what won’t work for me,” Wood explained.
When she voiced her needs, Wood noticed Jolie silently supporting her with a thumbs-up gesture:
“When I spoke up, all I could see was Angelina giving me a thumbs up. She’s possibly the most famous woman ever, but she’s so normal.”
Standing Up to Challenges Beyond the Set
Wood also reflected on her experience confronting the “mean and unfunny” parody of her character Chelsea on Saturday Night Live. She described this moment as breaking a lifelong pattern of avoiding confrontation, especially with childhood bullies.
The April SNL sketch mocked Wood’s White Lotus character and featured Sarah Sherman wearing buck teeth, poking fun at Wood’s own comments about being tired of discussing her teeth.
Summary
Aimee Lou Wood’s story highlights personal growth in asserting her needs and finding unexpected support from a star like Angelina Jolie, helping her break old patterns of silence and stand strong both on and off screen.