Highlights
- James Cameron says Amy Poehler’s 2013 Golden Globes joke crossed a line
- The remark referenced Cameron’s past marriage to Kathryn Bigelow and torture themes
- Cameron says the joke overshadowed filmmaking and fed false narratives
Cameron revisits a controversial awards-show moment
James Cameron is speaking out about a Golden Globes joke made more than a decade ago that he says went too far. In a recent interview with The New York Times, the Oscar-winning director criticized Amy Poehler for a quip about his former marriage to Kathryn Bigelow, calling it an “ignorant dig.”
The joke was delivered during the 2013 Golden Globes opening monologue, hosted by Poehler and Tina Fey. Bigelow was nominated for best director that year for Zero Dark Thirty, a film at the center of debate over its portrayal of torture.
The joke that drew a sharp reaction
Referencing the controversy, Poehler said: “When it comes to torture, I trust the lady who spent three years married to James Cameron.” The line drew audible reaction from the room, including a visibly stunned response from Zero Dark Thirty actor Jessica Chastain.
Cameron said the comment crossed a boundary, especially at an event meant to honor filmmakers.
“It was an ignorant dig at an event which is supposed to be a celebration of cinema and filmmakers, not a roast,” Cameron told The Times. While he said he is generally open to being the target of jokes, he added that this one “went too far.”
‘A narrative that wasn’t true’
Cameron also said the laughter surrounding the joke reflected a misunderstanding of who he is.
“The fact that people found it funny shows exactly what they think of me, even though they have no idea who I am or how I work,” he said.
He pointed to the way Hollywood media framed his relationship with Bigelow during the 2009–2010 awards season, when his Avatar competed against Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker. Bigelow ultimately won the Oscar for best director, while The Hurt Locker took best picture.
Support for Bigelow during awards season
Cameron said he was fully supportive of Bigelow’s success and uncomfortable with how their past relationship became part of the awards conversation.
“I was the first one on my feet applauding,” he said of Bigelow’s Oscar win. “Kathryn and I thought the whole meta-narrative around us was pretty funny. I was a little concerned that it would just take away from her credibility as a filmmaker.”
He added that both of them were bothered as attention shifted away from her work and toward their personal history.
A long personal and professional history
Cameron and Bigelow were married from 1989 to 1991 and continued to collaborate professionally after their divorce. Cameron developed and executive-produced Bigelow’s 1991 action film Point Break and co-wrote her 1995 thriller Strange Days.
More recently, Cameron made headlines after telling The Hollywood Reporter that he deserved full screenwriting credit on Point Break, saying he was denied recognition by the Writers Guild.
Response from ‘Point Break’ writer
Point Break’s credited writer, W. Peter Iliff, later responded with a supportive statement to People, praising Cameron’s contributions to the film and calling him a hero.
Iliff said there was “enough glory for everybody” and credited Cameron’s involvement as key to the film’s lasting appeal, adding that he was eager to see Cameron’s next project.
