Yes, That Was a Real Bull in “Étoile”! What It Was Like on Set with the 1,600-Lb. Animal
A press conference scene in the new Prime Video series from Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino features an unusual guest star
A press conference scene in the new Prime Video series from Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino features an unusual guest star Courtesy of Breanne Heldman; Philippe Antonello/Prime Video A bull on the set of Etoile:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Etoile-bts-042425-tout-2f5d5070df9d405b8ab7ecdb04b2e502.jpg "Etoile BTS")
When I arrived on the Paris set of Étoile one morning last April, the cast and crew were filled with excitement and anticipation.
The new Prime Video dance drama from the minds of Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino was about to film a scene featuring nearly 200 extras and background players on a plaza outside a theater in the middle of Paris. And, in addition to stars Luke Kirby, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Gideon Glick and Yanic Truesdale being present and accounted for, a huge special guest would be arriving in the afternoon.
Could it be another of the Palladinos' players from beloved shows like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel or Gilmore Girls? Alas, no.
That guest was a beautiful white, 1,600-lb. bull named Nesquik. Philippe Antonello/Prime Video The bull makes a pre-press conference appearance in Etoile alongside Charlotte Gainsbourg
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In episode 2, French and American ballet company directors Geneviève (Gainsbourg) and Jack (Kirby) are giving a press conference to announce a swap where they'll exchange some of their best dancers and a choreographer for a year to give each company a shot of adrenaline and boost interest and ticket sales. The media event doesn't exactly go as planned.
As Geneviève leads the conversation from Paris and Jack leads from New York City, they face several well-choreographed disruptions.
The scene itself was filmed twice, once in each city — the N.Y.C. side was filmed in October. Kirby was still on set in Paris, performing his lines off-camera behind a microphone. With the massive space and the impressive pool of extras playing journalists, locals and tourists filling the plaza, the scene was filmed more than a dozen times, with several breaks for cameras to shift in closer and closer.
First, the press conference is interrupted by wealthy donor Crispin Shamblee (Simon Callow) sharing his enthusiasm for the swap and introducing a soundbite of support from Pink as well. All of that dialogue was filmed at a later date. On that beautiful day in April 2024, a crew member read the lines as Jack and Geneviève whispered barbs by the phone.
Once the press conference seemingly got back on track, the theater's bull moseyed across the plaza.
The PEOPLE App is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! Courtesy of Breanne Heldman The bull in action on the set of Etoile
And the animal was a pro. He nailed his part in only three takes and received a big round of applause from the entire cast and crew when he wrapped.
Before Nesquik's big moment in the spotlight, many of the extras and the crew members visited the alley where the bull was waiting patiently and eating carrots and full baguettes. (This is Paris! Of course, the bull ate baguettes!)
Actor David Alvarez, who plays dancer Gael, chose to come that afternoon for his chat with PEOPLE and the chance of seeing the bull. As we took photos together, he commented about how "amazing" it was to see the animal so close and we agreed Nesquik was surprisingly "cute." Philippe Antonello/Prime Video Taïs Vinolo, Gideon Glick and Yanic Truesdale in the press conference scene in Etoile
Related: 'West Side Story' 's David Alvarez Shares Cute Throwback with 'Billy Elliot' 'Brother' Tom Holland
Maisel alum Glick, who plays quirky choreographer Tobias Bell, had a similar reaction to the bull.
"That was pretty wild," Glick said the next day of filming with the deadly animal. "The bull was mesmerizing. I didn't know bulls were that beautiful. And, yeah, really cute."
"I just kept staring at its face," he added. "We actually had some pretty good eye contact. It was exciting."
Glick also admitted he also felt "a little scared" working with such a large creature and "was impressed with some of the background actors, because some would be trepidatious, but there's one that just went and met him. That would not be me. People are less anxious in Paris, I'm finding."
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See Nesquik's big moment — and all the ballet drama — in Étoile, streaming now on Prime Video.
