Chris Pine's Don't Worry Darling character was inspired by Jordan Peterson, 'hero to the incel community'

A lot of ingredients went into Don't Worry Darling: Director Olivia Wilde's real-life romance with star Harry Styles, a healthy dose of on-set drama, inspiration from the classic horror movie The Stepford Wives, and apparently some very topical references.

Speaking with fellow actress-turned-director Maggie Gyllenhaal for Interview magazine recently, Wilde revealed that she had a very specific source in mind for the character played by Chris Pine. "We based that character on this insane man, Jordan Peterson, who is this pseudo-intellectual hero to the incel community," she said.

When Gyllenhaal expressed ignorance about the term "incel," Wilde explained that it refers to "basically disenfranchised, mostly white men, who believe they are entitled to sex from women." (The term "incel" is a shortened version of "involuntarily celibate.")

"They believe that society has now robbed them — that the idea of feminism is working against nature, and that we must be put back into the correct place," Wilde continued.

"Well, they must be psyched," Gyllenhaal replied. "Things are going really well for them."

Indeed, things do seem to be going well for Pine's character, Frank, in the Don't Worry Darling trailers released so far. Although details about the plot are still under wraps, Frank is the head of the so-called Victory Project and apparently an important authority figure in his community, which replicates the aesthetics and relationship dynamics of '50s America.

Peterson is a Canadian intellectual and the author of books like 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos. He gained a large internet following, particularly among the disaffected men described by Wilde, for his attacks on transgender rights, gender pronouns, and related issues. He often wears a suit during public appearances, interviews, and his own YouTube videos, which Wilde cited as another influence.

"This guy Jordan Peterson is someone that legitimizes certain aspects of their movement because he's a former professor, he's an author, he wears a suit, so they feel like this is a real philosophy that should be taken seriously," she said. "But it was a dream to work with all these evolved men on this movie who understood what we were trying to say."

Read Wilde and Gyllenhaal's full Interview conversation for more. Don't Worry Darling hit theaters Sept. 23.

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