Nicolas Cage has said that during the filming of this movie, he ignored all of his acting instincts and played the part of Charlie Kaufman exactly as director Spike Jonze asked him to. He then received an Academy Award nomination for it.
To portray John La Roche, Chris Cooper grew out his hair, shed weight and used a prosthesis to create the illusion of a toothless mouth. Spike Jonze granted Cooper's request for numerous takes so he could find the right tone for the eccentric character.
Having been submitted the screenplay for approval, Susan Orlean was strongly opposed to the making of the film; she ended up reluctantly approving its production, and was ultimately very impressed with the final result. In 2012, she stated "[reading the screenplay] was a complete shock. My first reaction was 'Absolutely not!' They had to get my permission and I just said: 'No! Are you kidding? This is going to ruin my career!' Very wisely, they didn't really pressure me. They told me that everybody else had agreed and I somehow got emboldened. It was certainly scary to see the movie for the first time. It took a while for me to get over the idea that I had been insane to agree to it, but I love the movie now."
In his renowned screenwriters seminars, Robert McKee now makes note that he is not against the use of voice-over narration, "despite what Charlie Kaufman says." His point is voice-over narration must add to the story, not describe what's already being seen on the screen, otherwise there's no reason for it.
Based on writer Charlie Kaufman's struggle to adapt the best-selling book "The Orchid Thief" by Susan Orlean. Kaufman quickly got writer's block, since the book lacked the dramatic structure needed for a movie. So he decided to write a screenplay about himself struggling to write a book adaptation, exaggerating many of the story elements and characters, and making up new ones (such as a non-existent twin brother, Donald Kaufman.) Knowing that the producers would reject the idea, he did not tell them about the new direction in which he was taking the story, and simply handed in the finished script. Although this move was supported by Spike Jonze, Kaufman himself believed it would end his career, but it didn't.
David O. Russell: One of the Orleans' dinner guests is the director of Three Kings (1999), in which Spike Jonze appeared.