Georgia Godworth isn’t afraid to approach strangers on the street and interview them about their love lives and sex lives.
But when she was quizzing a mild-mannered, seemingly amused man in his 60s for his opinions on dating, open relationships and group sex, she had no idea she was talking to world-famous director Baz Luhrmann.
The video of the interview in Sydney, which was uploaded to TikTok on Thursday and has since attracted millions of views, makes for surreal, comedic viewing.
Luhrmann, the world-famous director of films such as “Moulin Rouge!” “Elvis,” “The Great Gatsby” and “Romeo + Juliet,” asks Godworth: “Are you going to light me well?” before suggesting that they reposition the camera.
Godworth then asks Luhrmann if he is single, to which Luhrmann replies with a deadpan “no.” When questioned further about whether he is in a relationship, the director simply replies: “I’m married.” (Luhrmann is married to four-time Oscar winning costume designer Catherine Martin.)
Godworth, 31, said in an interview with The Washington Post on Friday that she was “just a bit gobsmacked” when she later realized who she had interviewed, adding that the encounter actually happened while she was “out in Newtown practicing” the street-interview format for her comedy videos.
The video also shows Luhrmann sharing his thoughts about what marriage means, and Godworth talking about the importance of discussing the terms of an open relationship, “whether it be a threesome, a foursome” — prompting the director to ask her “how many foursomes have you done?”
When Godworth replies “maybe like six?” Luhrmann, who appears relaxed and engaged throughout the interview, asks: “So what is the point of the conversation we are having?” to which Godworth replies confidently, “just talking about dating.”
As the interview ends, Luhrmann tells the camera: “I usually don’t do interviews, but you know what? Happy to be a part of yours” — to which Godworth replies “I’m honored” and “I love your jacket.”
In Friday’s interview, Godworth stressed she is in fact “very familiar” with Luhrmann’s work — “‘Moulin Rouge!’ was my favorite childhood film, and you know, I’m obsessed with ‘Romeo + Juliet’ — I just didn’t know that I was interviewing him at the time.”
She filmed the interview on Feb. 24 but “sat on the footage for … around a month,” before one of her friends saw a snippet of the videos and told her who it was.
Godworth says she’d approached Luhrmann for a street interview because she noticed he was “dressed very elegantly” and she thought “he just looked interesting.”
“He was absolutely wonderful,” in the interview, Godworth said, adding that, looking back, she suspects there was “an amusement” to his answers because it was clear she didn’t recognize him.
The video has drawn a large reaction online, with many amused at how Godworth interrupted Luhrmann several times, or expressing delight that she had, inadvertently, secured a rare interview with the famous director.
Godworth, who also does stand up comedy and works part time as a retail sales consultant, says she had “just been doing social media for fun so far,” although she would love to work in the entertainment world one day.
“If people can have a laugh or a smile, then I’m happy,” she said, although she admitted that, had she known it was Luhrmann she was interviewing, she might have asked him some different questions.
“I would ask … how it was like for him forming his career. I’d want to know about the making of ‘Moulin Rouge!’ and ‘Romeo + Juliet’ in particular. And if I were given the opportunity to interview him knowing it was him, I would maybe ask if he could have a read of the pilot I’ve been writing.”
But if she did get the chance to talk to him again, she added: “First of all, I would say: ‘Would you forgive me for not recognizing you?’”
correction
A previous version of this article misspelled Georgia Godworth’s last name. The article has been corrected.