- [Interviewer] We have Steven McQueen coming in later
with the rest of the cast.
Maybe if you have an anecdote or an example
of what makes him such an amazing director,
or something you worked on with him on this project
in particular that sort of shows--
- He's terrific.
You know, that's the reason,
I don't usually get along with any director.
(men laughing)
I got along great with this guy.
(upbeat electronic music)
I talk about him all over the country,
like I would an athlete.
I told Francis Coppola,
I said I'm working with Steve McQueen
and he said, "Oh, he's good."
And I told him that he'd like to hear that.
So, you know, he was terrific to work for.
He said, "Cut!
"You're supposed to be old, walk like an 86-year-old man."
I said, "I am 86."
He said, "Well, walk a little older."
(men laughing)
He was great, great to work with.
- He treads the line between structure
and freedom really beautifully, you know?
I mean, he sets up a dynamic,
both with the aesthetic of the film
and where the camera is and how it moves
and it all feels quite contained, it's very, very specific.
He has, of course, the very definition of the art of sigh,
having come from the world of visual arts,
but then within that, he allows the actors
and promotes a sense of freedom and a sense of play
and he gets excited by performance.
You know, sometimes I've worked with directors
and you get a sense that they maybe
don't like actors too much and they wish
they could make a film without them.
- Right.
- But, with Steve McQueen, it's very, very different.
He's open and he's excited to see what you're going to bring.
And he'll direct you as needs be,
as he thinks the tone of the scene
needs to follow a particular path, perhaps,
but just so specific and I loved it
and loved working with him.
- And you find yourself wanting to please him.
- Mm-hmm.
- Do you know what I mean?
The first time I met him in London,
I was like, "Steve McQueen wants to meet me?"
I hadn't seen any of his films,
but I was telling him at the dinner table,
my whole life story.
- He's very interested in people, he really is.
- He's really interested--
- He's asks a lot of questions.
- [Colin] Totally.
- He doesn't think he knows all the answers.
- The most beautiful interviews with him between takes,
where he'd be really fascinated by where you're from,
what your ideas on things and he'd listen and listen.
- [Liam] Yeah.
- It was lovely, yeah.
- I feel like there is a genuine joy for making,
making movies and so it was a night when,
when we were all in the car and we're driving up this,
to the hospital to drop off Elizabeth's character
and we come out of the car, we walk up,
and he says, "Well, we're making a movie.
"We're making a movie."
And I remember thinking,
"But how refreshing?" - He did that every day.
- But do you know what I mean?
But how refreshing that someone so established still finds
the thrill in it, the joy in it.
Which meant that I was truly excited,
it being my first movie,
to know that you can get to that place
and still feel that way.
That was, that's, I feel like,
the encompassing thing about Steve.
Sorry if it's embarrassing for you.
- I consider Steve to be, - One was enough.
- I'm very odd in my description,
but like an alchemical wedding.
You know, there's very rare humans
who have their masculine and feminine side
married to each other within
and that kind of complete human is a rare find.
When you find it in an artist, it's even rarer,
so he's like, he's like a unicorn.
- There's a like, want for--
- As far as creating a safe space
where you have that receptivity and sensitivity
to be able to really see the things
that on the surface aren't there,
but are bubbling underneath, I mean,
it's magical to have that.
It's a feminine quality and he's in-tuned with it
and it's just very beautiful to have that openness.
- And you know, all these, all of us,
Cynthia, myself, Michelle, Elizabeth,
definitely have had the stamp of, you know,
being, you could easily typecast us for various reasons,
skin tone, voice, height, you know, whatever,
and I have felt like, I feel that Steve sees you.
- I was just going to say that.
- He sees you.
He sees a part of you that the world,
the limitations of how the world would see you
and he'll throw that out the window
and he sees all these other colors in you
and he's, I mean, it's like, you know,
it's like an actor whisperer.
He just slowly pulls it out of you.
- It's a rare human to see that potential in a person.
- Cheering you on, you know.
- But you know what, it's such a relief too.
- Oh my God, it is.
(Michelle laughs)
- You're a breath of fresh air, Steve!
- Okay, good.
- We love you.
- Yeah. - We do.
- Thank you.
(women laughing)
- He's squirming.
- So squirming.