Dylan O’Brien revealed that Taylor Swift‘s “All Too Well” music video wasn’t scripted, and he and Sadie Sink improvised the kitchen fight dialogue. Swift re-released her 2012 fourth studio album Red on November 12, 2021. Her re-recording of the album was in response to a change in ownership of the masters to her first six studio albumz. Red (Taylor’s Version) included the unabridged, 10-minute version of one of the artist’s most popular songs: “All Too Well.” The unabridged version of the song was accompanied by an “All Too Well” short film, which also released on November 12.

“All Too Well” was directed by Swift, and stars O’Brien and Stranger Things star Sink as a couple struggling in their relationship. The short film received largely positive reception for its realistic and heartbreaking portrayal of the rise and fall of a romantic relationship, and is considered to be based on Swift’s real-life experience. The unabridged re-released Red track, combined with the short film, also drew quite a bit of attention from fans. The beloved song making a comeback yet again raised the discussion about whether “All Too Well” is about Jake Gyllenhaal, who Swift previously dated. The strong performances and discussion surrounding the short film led to the video receiving a staggering 62 million views on YouTube. Now, O’Brien is opening up about how him and Sink created their heartfelt scenes.

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In an interview with THR, O’Brien revealed that the “All Too Well” short film was unscripted and the dialogue was improvised. O’Brien admitted that he originally proposed scripting some of the bigger scenes, but eventually threw the idea away. Initially, the music wasn’t even going to stop to allow the kitchen fight scene to play out with its real sound. However, he and Sink began improvising the kitchen fight and break-up scenes, and Swift was so impressed that she decided to use their dialogue and allow the scenes to play out in full. Check out O’Brien’s quote below:

“Oh, none of it was scripted. None of it. Even the scene that ends up playing out wasn’t scripted. It’s funny because I proposed this idea, and then I ended up being the one to throw it all out. But super early on, I said to Taylor, “For some of the bigger scenes, it might be a good idea to get some kind of template on a page in case we start getting bogged down on the day.” Because we had to shoot it in two days. And when we actually got to it, we just played out these scenes. So it was a really fulfilling couple of days, and it was an amazing exercise. We were just fully in it at that point, and we played out these scenes, particularly the dramatic ones, like the breakup scene or the fight scene in the kitchen. We fully breathed out these improvised moments in the scenes, and there was never a plan for the music to stop so the [kitchen fight] scene could play out. That was actually Taylor’s call. After we did just one take of the kitchen scene, she came over and she was like, “This is it. I’m going to use this dialogue. We’re going to let this play. You’re right in the pocket. Let’s just do it again.” And that is such a testament to her instincts as a director, which I found super impressive. She’s so confident in what she wants, and she comes in really prepped. She also has such a specific vision. She’s so meticulous and intentional about everything, which wasn’t surprising at all. Seeing her instincts and confidence on set, she knew when she got it. So to make that [kitchen fight] call on the fly, she’s the shit.”

The fact that O’Brien and Sink completely improvised the “All Too Well” kitchen fight scene adds to its already moving effect. A lot of the short film’s praise stemmed from O’Brien and Sink’s realistic performances. The kitchen fight scene, especially, was so emotionally charged that many argued that it felt just like watching a real argument between a couple. With no script to work with, Sink portrayed a character who was confrontational and insecure, while O’Brien’s was dismissive and defensive. The “All Too Well” actress and actor clearly understood their source material, embodying Swift’s themes of the suddenly changed nature of a relationship gone bad.

That O’Brien and Sink improvised the scene, and that Swift went with it at a moment’s notice, is testimony to both their skills as actors and director. It isn’t uncommon for actors to perform what ultimately prove to be their best scenes “in the moment,” and this certainly seems to be the case in the “All Too Well” video. However, Swift’s “All Too Well” music video also held onto its authenticity through its decision to remain unscripted. O’Brien and Sink’s performances in Swift‘s film have already made it a hit, but the revelation regarding the improvised dialogue adds another layer to their work.

Source: THR

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Rachel Ulatowski is a Freelance Movie/TV News Writer for Screen Rant. She works to bring readers the latest news on the shows and movies that are important to them. Rachel especially enjoys writing about celebrity news and sharing the thoughts, struggles, and perspective of some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. In her free time she enjoys reading, writing, and watching anything Marvel, DC, Doctor Who, or Star Wars.

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