Shark Tank star Kevin O'Leary has sparked controversy by suggesting that the upcoming A24 film 'Marty Supreme' could have saved millions of dollars by using AI-generated background actors instead of human extras. O'Leary, who appears in the film, made the comments during an appearance on The Hill's World of Travel podcast.
O'Leary argued that the film's 150 extras per scene were costly and unnecessary, stating: 'Why couldn't you simply put AI agents in their place? Because they're not the main actors. They're only in the story visually.' He claimed the savings could allow directors to make more films, suggesting the budget could be cut from $90 million to $35 million.
The businessman referenced Tilly Norwood, a digitally generated 'actor' created by AI talent studio Xicoia, which has drawn criticism from actors' union SAG-AFTRA. O'Leary defended the technology, saying: 'For the sake of the art, you should allow it in certain cases, and extra is a really good-use case because you can't tell the difference.'
'Marty Supreme,' directed by Josh Safdie and starring Timothée Chalamet and Gwyneth Paltrow, is set in the world of 1950s ping-pong culture and follows a young man's pursuit of greatness. The film is scheduled for release on Christmas Day.
The comments have drawn backlash online, with critics accusing O'Leary of prioritising profits over the livelihoods of background actors. One commenter wrote: 'This man knows nothing about the sacrifices actors make to achieve their dreams.' Another said: 'He is the personification of greed itself.'
