Paul Schrader is often remembered for his writing work on many classic movies like The Last Temptation of Christ, American Gigolo, and Taxi Driver, but he’s still been putting in work in the modern age. His drama thriller First Reformed got him an Academy Award nomination in 2017 and his new film The Card Counter is set to release soon.
Still, he has been facing his own issues in the world of film. After being kicked out of a celebrity poker group after saying, “something that someone took offense to,” he’s been keeping to himself on social media, worried that any words he says might take away focus from his upcoming film.
“I’m off Facebook until the film comes out. Focus said that anybody can construe something you’ve said, it can become clickbait. That’s what all interviews would become about, and The Card Counter would be forgotten.”
“Publicity is publicity. But more and more careers have ended, not because of criminal charges but because of personal charges, whether it be Kevin Spacey, Scott Rudin or Johnny Depp. They have gotten caught up in cancel culture. Cancel culture is so infectious, it’s like the Delta virus. If your friend says, ‘they’re saying these terrible things about me that aren’t true’, you’re afraid to come to their defence, because you might catch that virus too.”
When asked about if he was worried about being canceled, Schrader responded:
“No, I think I’ve been fairly honest and upfront, kept my hands to myself. Being a writer in the arts, words are our tools, in a number of scripts I use the ‘N-word.’”
Paul Schrader‘s latest film The Card Counter is set to release on September 10th.
