Spoilers for Pressure are ahead! Read with caution, and see the project on the 2026 movie schedule in theaters now.
The movie Pressure centers around one massive decision about weather, and whether or not the Allies can act on their plans for D-Day as planned. Ultimately, it comes down to choices made by Brendan Fraser’s Dwight D. Eisenhower and Andrew Scott’s meteorologist James Stagg. However, before they reach a decision, there’s a lot of tension, debate and yelling that goes down. So, I had to ask Scott what it was like to have Fraser yell at him as they filmed these intense scenes.
For context, throughout this war movie, Scott’s James Stagg is constantly at odds with fellow meteorologist Irving Krick (Chris Messina). Over and over again, they butt heads over what the true weather will be on D-Day, as Stagg says it will be stormy while Krick says it will be sunny. So, at one point, after Stagg disagrees with his colleagues' forecast once again, Eisenhower yells at him, and aggressively so. With that scene in mind, I asked the Sherlock actor what it’s like to have Brendan Fraser yell at him, and he started his answer with one great word:
Fantastic.
Undoubtedly, one reason to buy a ticket for Pressure is the cast. Fraser and Scott are incredible in this movie, and their performances help highlight the stakes these guys are dealing with as they work to make one of the most pivotal choices during World War II.
From Scott’s character’s perspective, he’s trying to prove that the weather will not cooperate with them, despite what everyone else is saying. If he’s right, it means D-Day has to be delayed. It’s his contrasting view that flusters Eisenhower, who is the man who ultimately has to make the final call about what to do. So, yes, the eventual president does yell at the meteorologist over all this.
However, the Fleabag actor said it was “fantastic” to be on the receiving end of this anger, because it helped show off the different sides of both Eisenhower and Fraser as an actor, as he explained:
You know, I think that's what Brendan brings to the role. He's incredibly affable and light. And, you know, I think when we see Brendan on screen, I think we trust him, you know. And I think that's very important in playing Ike, but he's also required to be fearsome. And you know, he's an intimidating physical presence as well. And so again, there was no acting required there either.
I totally see what he’s saying; Ike does have many layers. He cares deeply about the people around him and the troops he’s about to deploy. He’s also been tasked with making a call that could fully change the direction of the war, and he's aware of the stakes. The Mummy actor shows off all those sides very well throughout this movie, and in the case of this scenario, he had to be “fearsome”.
Overall, I love that Andrew Scott described being yelled at by Brendan Fraser as “fantastic,” and it goes to show just how great they both are in this movie as their characters try to figure out the best course of action for D-Day. Now, to see how all this impacted the outcome of this major moment during World War II, you can catch Pressure, which has received good reviews, in theaters now.
