Austin’s literally making waves because he protected his Caught Stealing costar Zoë Kravitz from a potential bee sting.
On Tuesday, at the UK premiere of the new Darren Aronofsky crime thriller, Austin and Zoë walked the carpet in complementary Saint Laurent outfits, and they looked very sweet — perhaps, too sweet.
When a rogue bee tried to pollinate the actors as they posed for photos, Zoë and Austin attempted to wave the insect away from her face before it set its sights on the Dune: Part Two actor.
Austin, Zoë, and Darren were visibly amused by the bee, who I’m convinced is Barry B. Benson from 2007’s Bee Movie trying to make a comeback.
The best part about this insect interaction is that it’s not Austin’s first rodeo with a bumblebee on a red carpet. In May, while posing for pictures during the Cannes Film Festival premiere of Eddington, Austin tried to save Emma Stone from a bee.
When the bee buzzed into their space, Pedro Pascal laughed, Emma dodged, and Austin unsuccessfully tried to blow the bee away. Fortunately, Austin has improved his technique since the last time.
Austin revealed what went down during a Tuesday, Aug. 12, appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “Some things just happen, and you don’t really realize what’s happening in the moment,” Austin explained. “[Emma] said, ‘Bee, bee, bee!’ And then I look, and there’s actually a bumblebee that’s attacking…” he told Jimmy. “And then Pedro starts laughing, and then I started blowing the bee away. That was my reaction.”
Austin admitted that he “didn’t want to hurt the bee,” and that’s why the video might appear a little suspect. “It kind of looks like I’m blowing the bee at her. You know? So I was doing my best to try to get the bee to just playfully get away.”
In Caught Stealing, Austin plays Hank, a former baseball star turned bartender who gets involved in the world of 1990s New York City crime. Zoë plays Yvonne, Hank’s love interest.
Caught Stealing will be in theaters on Aug. 29.
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