Taron Egerton’s Director Calls His Dog Co-Star a Nightmare During TIFF

Taron Egerton has established himself as one of the most versatile British actors today, seamlessly transitioning between spy thrillers, Elton John biopics, and gritty crime dramas. His latest venture delves into a more comedic realm, premiering this week at the Toronto International Film Festival with a title that’s already stirring excitement.

The film, ‘Everybody Wants to Fuck Me,’ follows a man who appears to be the ideal partner but soon realizes he’s being stalked by women he has wronged. Director Jonathan Schey, who both wrote and directed the comedy-thriller, collaborated with a talented cast that includes Jessica Henwick, Mia McKenna-Bruce, and Sophie Simnett.

While promoting the film’s TIFF debut on Friday, Egerton and Schey discussed an unexpected source of on-set drama: a Jack Russell terrier that made filming more challenging than anticipated. According to Schey, the dog consistently refused to perform one of the simplest tasks for any animal actor—sitting still on command.

Schey candidly recounted the experience, noting that the dog would move whenever it needed to stay in position, despite the task being a fundamental aspect of animal acting. He remarked, “It would move! All it needed to do was sit, and it wouldn’t sit,” as reported by The Express Tribune.

Egerton joined in on the humor, expressing his bewilderment at how straightforward the request was. He emphasized that sitting still is one of the easiest things a dog can do, making the animal’s repeated refusal all the more ridiculous from the perspective of the cast and crew.

Schey further elaborated on the dog’s on-set demeanor, ultimately dubbing the pet a “diva” and a “nightmare” to work with during production. He also mentioned that the same rough-coated Jack Russell had previously appeared in ‘Bridgerton’ and other projects, joking that the dog seemed to think it could breeze through this shoot just as it had “swanned around” on past sets.

Despite the on-set challenges, Schey praised his editing team for salvaging the dog’s performance in post-production, indicating that audiences watching the final film likely won’t realize how difficult those scenes were to capture. This kind of editorial rescue is a common tale in film production when animal actors prove less cooperative than expected.

The conversation eventually shifted beyond their own film, with Egerton mentioning Brad Pitt’s upcoming movie ‘Heart of the Beast,’ which also features a notable canine performer. Egerton joked that whatever Pitt managed to achieve with his dog co-star was probably far less chaotic than the experience he and Schey had just described.

This lighthearted comparison reflects a broader Hollywood tradition of directors and actors sharing stories about the unpredictable nature of working with animal performers. Unlike human actors, dogs can’t be directed in conventional ways, leaving filmmakers to rely heavily on patience, treats, and creative editing to capture the desired performance.

‘Everybody Wants to Fuck Me’ premiered at TIFF on September 11, giving audiences their first glimpse of both the film and an unexpectedly entertaining behind-the-scenes tale about its most uncooperative cast member. With the film’s TIFF debut now creating buzz on various fronts, Schey’s canine challenges may become just as memorable as the movie’s provocative title.

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