Eve Hewson’s Terror at Steven Spielberg’s Tactics: When Bono’s Daughter Was Blindsided by Barack Obama

According to the CinemaDrame News Agency, Eve Hewson, the 34-year-old star of Disclosure Day, reflects on her childhood excitement in Dublin, navigating grueling Hollywood auditions, and the surreal experience of receiving two direct phone calls from Steven Spielberg.

Sitting across from Colin Firth for an exhausting, psychologically tense sequence was already enough to make Hewson nervous; however, upon arriving at the studio, she noticed snipers positioned on the roof! Recalling that day, she says: “I walked into the makeup trailer and asked, ‘What is going on?’ They told me, ‘The freaking President is coming!’ So not only did Barack Obama show up on set, but every actor who wasn’t even filming that day—including Emily Blunt, Colman Domingo, and Josh O’Connor—showed up to see him. I had to perform that entire intense sequence right in front of them and Steven Spielberg.”

Escaping her Father’s Shadow and Catching the “Hollywood Bug”

The Irish actress, whose father is Bono (the legendary frontman of U2), spent her entire childhood in Dublin away from media hype and controversies—until her former tutor, who had become an independent filmmaker, asked her to help out behind the scenes. Hewson laughs: “That was exactly when I caught the Hollywood bug; and believe me, it really is a sickness!”

She later moved to New York to study acting at the New York Film Academy and New York University before embarking on auditions: “I would find myself in audition rooms next to stunning Californian girls who all had that quintessential, universally appealing ‘girl-next-door’ look, while I was just too Irish, mysterious, and quirky. It took time for me to find my own footing.”

Spielberg’s Tactic for Terrifying His Actress

Her introduction to Spielberg dates back to Bridge of Spies, where she had a brief role that required her to hide under a coffee table while soldiers shot into her house. Hewson recalls that during filming, Spielberg stood just out of frame holding two wooden baseball bats, smashing them together forcefully to terrify her in the moment:

“It was a completely practical and incredibly helpful tactic. Until then, I had never seen a director so closely aligned with their actor’s emotional needs. After that movie, whenever I had a massive sequence to shoot, I would tell directors, ‘Could you please smash something together to completely terrify me?'”

Following that project, Spielberg tracked her performances in works such as The Luminaries, Behind Her Eyes, and Bad Sisters. In late 2024, when news broke regarding Spielberg’s new UFO/alien film, Hewson suddenly received a call from her agent stating that Spielberg wanted to have a video call with her within the hour. Spielberg told her: “I’ve been following your work, and I’m proud of you. I have a script I want you to read; your role is Jane.”

Thinking it was a minor role where she would likely be killed off early in the film, Hewson was shocked to see the name “Jane” on the front page and across most of the subsequent pages. Relying on her Irish charm during their second video call, she shared her ideas with Spielberg and signed the contract by the end of the week.

Embracing the Audience’s Emotions in “Disclosure Day”

In Disclosure Day, Hewson’s character essentially serves as the audience’s surrogate—an outsider who uncovers a hidden government conspiracy to conceal extraterrestrial life from the public. Regarding Spielberg’s direction, Hewson notes: “The character’s emotions had to feel incredibly immediate and vulnerable. Steven would help me tap into that feeling by telling various stories. He rides the wave right along with the actor; if you cry, he cries behind the monitor. The day after that intense sequence with Colin Firth, Steven told me he felt like he had done a heavy 10-hour workout himself!”

While the rest of the film’s stars were busy on a global promotional tour, Hewson was living in Dublin with her parents while filming the motorcycle project Isle of Man alongside Channing Tatum. She says: “I’m 34 and I spend my Friday nights watching movies with my parents, but we all love this lifestyle.”

Nonetheless, she can feel the massive wave of attention coming her way due to starring in Spielberg’s summer blockbuster: “Ever since the trailer dropped, I’ve had people messaging me whom I haven’t heard from in 10 years. I’m a bit nervous that so many people are going to see this film—from every dentist I’ve ever been to, to the entire world!”