Olivia Wilde Was 'Shocked' by Penélope Cruz Improvising a Kiss in 'The Invite': 'My Mind Went Blank'

Olivia Wilde recalled feeling "shocked" when Penélope Cruz improvised a kiss between their characters while filming The Invite.

Wilde opened up about the moment her "mind went blank" on the July 8 episode of the "Table Manners" podcast with Jessie Ware.

Cruz and Wilde star together in the A24 dark comedy alongside Seth Rogen and Edward Norton. The film follows two couples who join together for a dinner party, where chaos ensues.

In the heat of one scene, Wilde revealed, Cruz went in for the kiss, leaving her "struck" by the moment.

"There's a moment in the film where she improvised a kiss with me," Wilde recalled. "I was so shocked when she did it that I actually turned my head and looked directly into the lens, and then through my camera operator, who said 'Olivia,' and I said, 'Namaste!' for some reason."

Despite her total shock, Wilde, who also directed the film, said she was totally "in love" with Cruz's jaw-dropping acting instincts, and the kiss between their characters made the final cut.

"That's the only thing that came to my mind, 'Namaste,' and everyone was like, what, and I was like, I don't know," she recalled. "My mind went blank because I was so struck by this moment. I lost control. I was so madly in love with it."

The Invite is Wilde's third film as a director. Her first two, Booksmart and Don't Worry Darling, received wide critical acclaim. The Invite appears to be no different.

The film is based on a Spanish movie called The People Upstairs and was written by Rashida Jones, Will McCormack and Cesc Gay.

"So essentially it's about on the surface what seems like an unhappy couple and a happy couple colliding for one night to have a dinner party that goes kind of off the rails and leads to unforeseen conclusions for everyone," Wilde said of her new movie.

"What it really is is a story about relationships that tries to figure out why they work or why they're not working, and if it potentially has something to do with how little we communicate, particularly about s--," she added.

Wilde revealed that she originally had no plans to star in her film, and instead felt like she was better behind the camera.

"I didn't want to star in it. I didn't want to be in it… I just wanted to nail the direction," she revealed. "The cast, Edward and Seth and Penélope, kept saying… 'We think you should do it.' I was so struck because it just hadn't occurred to me."

Wilde recalled having "imposter syndrome" about starring in the film alongside her impressive castmates.

"I don't know," Wilde added. "I think at this point I feel like a much better director than actor."