'Dracula' Director Admits to Ordering Gary Oldman to Whisper 'Evil' Words to Winona Ryder
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Francis Ford Coppola admits to telling Gary Oldman to whisper 'evil and horrific' words in Winona Ryder's ear during a scene but denies making such demands on Keanu Reeves.

AceShowbiz - Francis Ford Coppola has denied he ordered Keanu Reeves to insult co-star Winona Ryder on the set of "Bram Stoker's Dracula" - to make her cry on cue.

The "Stranger Things" star made the claim during a recent Sunday Times interview, insisting her leading man refused his director's demands, but Coppola has fired back, admitting he asked Gary Oldman to whisper "evil and horrific" words in her ear, but he never made such demands on Keanu, who played lawyer Jonathan Harker in the 1992 movie.

The 81-year-old filmmaker has also dismissed Ryder's claims he called her "a wh*re" in an effort to make her cry during one scene, telling People, "While I think Winona is a wonderful actor, the incident she described is not how it happened, and shouting or abusing people isn’t something I do as a person or as a filmmaker."

"In this situation, which I remember clearly, I instructed Gary Oldman - in character as Dracula - to whisper improvised words to her and the other characters, making them as horrific and evil as he could. I don't know what was said, but improvisation is a common filmmaking practice."

Ryder's memory has also been questioned by Mel Gibson's representative, who has denied her claims the "Braveheart" star upset her by using a derogatory term for Jews at a Hollywood party.

The actress recalled the incident in the same Sunday Times interview and alleged Gibson referred to her as an "oven dodger."

"We were at a crowded party with one of my good friends, and Mel Gibson was smoking a cigar, and we're all talking and he said to my friend, who's gay, 'Oh wait, am I gonna get AIDS?' " Ryder told the newspaper. "And then something came up about Jews, and he said, 'You're not an oven dodger, are you?' "

Gibson's rep has responded, stating, "This is 100 per cent untrue. She lied about it over a decade ago, when she talked to the press, and she's lying about it now. Also, she lied about him trying to apologise to her back then. He did reach out to her, many years ago, to confront her about her lies, and she refused to address it with him."

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