EXCLUSIVE: How Madonna Cost Pete Berg a Shot at Directing 'American Beauty'
Pete Berg was dating Madonna before the release of 'American Beauty.'
Sept. 23 2026, Published 5:32 p.m. ET
Pete Berg was a prime candidate to direct American Beauty, but the job eventually went to Sam Mendes.
According to Ari Emanuel, who was Berg's talent agent at the time, the filmmaker's relationship with Madonna may have cost him the job, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Pete Berg Pitched Madonna to Lead 'American Beauty'
The production company was disinterested in his idea.
Emanuel recalled his working relationship with Berg in his memoir, Roll the Calls. According to the talent agent, Berg was struggling with negative critic reviews for his film Very Bad Things.
"I’ve never read reviews like these. I’m not sure there have ever been reviews like these," admitted Emanuel.
However, the agent ended up opening another opportunity up for Berg. While the director was licking his wounds, Emanuel's buddies, Ronnie Meyer, David Geffen and Steven Spielberg, were inspired by Berg's work. They requested a meeting with him to discuss possibly directing American Beauty, which was being considered for production by DreamWorks.
At first, Emanuel explained, Berg performed well. In fact, it seemed like he may have even landed the gig.
However, he made a major mistake – suggesting his girlfriend, Madonna, play the leading lady. Immediately, the producers were turned off by the idea, and the opportunity went elsewhere.
Ari Emanuel Begged Him Not to Mention Madonna
Ari Emanuel detailed their conversations in his memoir.
Emanuel was frustrated. He coached Berg before the big meeting, insisting he leave Madonna's name out of it.
The agent recalled telling Berg, "She’s a good actress, okay? She really is. But I know these guys – they’re not going to want to hear that you’re thinking Madonna. They’re going to want to hear someone more along the lines of…Annette Bening. You get me? ... Pete. Do not mention Madonna to these guys – okay? ... Pete. When you walk into that room, your goal is to walk out again without mentioning Madonna."
"When I said Madonna…" Emanuel recalled Berg telling him. "They all leaned away from me, Ari. In their chairs. Like, in unison. They all leaned away ... What do you think that means?"
Sam Mendes Directed the Movie
Sam Mendes won the Academy Award for Best Director.
What it meant was Berg didn't get the job.
Instead, the iconic film went to Sam Mendes and was produced by DreamWorks, which was founded by Spielberg, Geffen, and Jeffrey Katzenberg.
The film won Mendes the Academy Award for Best Director for American Beauty in 1999. Additionally, he won Best Director at the Golden Globes, Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures a the Director Guild of America Awards, and Best Director at the Chicago Critics Association Awards.
Berg and Madonna Split
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Berg and Madonna reportedly ended their relationship not long after he lost out on the job.
Berg lost the girl, too. After widespread speculation in the tabloids, Berg and Madonna split shortly after.
Madonna, since then, has been involved in a number of relationships. She notably married Sean Penn in 1985, divorcing in 1989. While it's unclear when her relationship with Berg cropped up, it couldn't have lasted long. The pop star married Guy Ritchie in 2000 and divorced him in 2008.
On the other hand, Berg is believed to be single. He was previously married to Elizabeth Rogers from 1993, but the timeline of their breakup is murky. They reportedly divorced sometime in 1998, with some sources suggesting their actual split was closer to 2002.
From 2002 to 2006, he dated Estella Warren. Berg also briefly dated Whitney Cummings from 2012 to 2013.
