Vincent Gallo is publicly refuting claims that he’s supposed to star in Karla Sofía Gascón‘s next film, which is directed by Italian filmmaker Stefania Rossella Grassi
In a released statement, Gallo says that he never agreed to star in Gascón/Grassi’s “The Life Lift,” and explicitly instructed the filmmakers not to use his name for promotional purposes or to secure financing.
Gallo alleges that the filmmakers had misrepresented the project to him as having been already funded, which led him to initially engage in discussions. However, upon discovering that the project lacked proper financing, he withdrew and denied permission for his name to be associated with it.
In response, Grassi maintains that Gallo showed support for the film via email and requested advance payment without signing a contract. She claims that Gallo asked for additional sums in the contract without agreeing to the standard SAG contract for the project.
Gallo, however, disputes these assertions, stating that he only engages with financed projects and rejected any contractual obligations without upfront security. He criticized the filmmakers as unethical and emphasized that he would not consider the film under any circumstance.
Gallo has built a reputation not just for his avant-garde films, but for his outrageous behavior and inflammatory statements. He once put his sperm up for sale on his personal website for $1 million, offering a discount to "anyone with blonde hair and blue eyes.”
I have no idea who’s telling the truth here, but Grassi’s noble attempt to try and cast both Gascón and Gallo in the same film was an incredibly inspired one. Sadly, it doesn’t look like this project’s going to happen now, at least not with Gallo involved.