"Maggie Gyllenhaal"
Maggie Gyllenhaal discusses her transition from acclaimed actress to director, sharing insights about her directing process, upcoming film 'The Bride,' and how her acting experience informed her directorial approach. She emphasizes creating safe creative spaces for actors and learning new filmmaking techniques.
Summary
In this SmartLess podcast interview, Maggie Gyllenhaal reveals her journey from successful actress to director, explaining that she didn't initially allow herself to fantasize about directing because there weren't many visible women directors when she was growing up. Playing a porn director on 'The Deuce' helped her imagine the possibility. She discusses her directorial debut 'The Lost Daughter' (shot in just 26 days) and her upcoming film 'The Bride,' which represents a significant step up in budget and scope, featuring stars like Christian Bale, Jesse Buckley, and Penelope Cruz. Gyllenhaal explains that directing feels like a better fit for her because it allows her to create space for everyone to contribute freely, rather than the protective mode actors often need to adopt. She describes learning to communicate differently with each actor, discovering that what works for one performer may not work for another. The conversation touches on her writing process, where she deliberately explores emotionally dangerous territory, and her approach to world-building in 'The Bride,' which blends 1936 aesthetics with influences from 1981 downtown New York. She also shares personal details about life in Brooklyn with her 13-year-old daughter, her husband Peter Sarsgaard's Vermont beekeeping hobby, and her preference for New York over Los Angeles.
About this episode
We walk the tightrope with Maggie Gyllenhaal. Come explore the edges of the mind: stacking wood, eating avocados, bird watching, and what is exercise? It’s fake learning for real… an all-new SmartLess.
Key Insights
- Gyllenhaal didn't initially consider directing because she couldn't see visible women directors in the industry during her formative years
- Playing a director on 'The Deuce' allowed her to imagine directing as a real possibility for herself
- She believes directing is a better job for her because it eliminates the protective mode actors must adopt and allows her to create safe spaces for others
- Gyllenhaal discovered that each actor requires different communication approaches and learned this on the job during 'The Lost Daughter'
- She deliberately writes about emotionally dangerous territory, citing a scene about hating to talk to her kids on the phone as an example of risky material
- The filmmaker argues that fewer women have had access to advanced filmmaking tools like IMAX and world-building technologies
- She believes that having different life experiences inevitably leads to making different kinds of movies
- Gyllenhaal's approach to world-building differs from traditional methods because she doesn't want to show off expensive visual effects
- She learned a new visual language while making 'The Bride,' comparing it to taking a master class with cinematographer Larry Sher
- The director's editing philosophy involves removing everything that isn't really great, even scenes she personally loves
- She set 'The Bride' in 1936 but describes the aesthetic as '1936 by way of 1981 downtown New York'
- Gyllenhaal argues that acting requires a particularly precious and vulnerable state that directors must respect and protect
Topics
Transcript
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