-But you just announced this past weekend
you're making your directorial debut.
-Yeah. -I mean --
[ Cheers and applause ]
This is a big deal.
You are directing on "The Deuce."
-No. I'm pretending to direct on "The Deuce."
-Correct. But, your character is --
-My character is directing on "The Deuce."
And, you know what?
I think I was, in some ways, inspired by Candy.
-Really? So you got --
But you always must have had the bug.
You have a very talented family.
-I -- To be totally honest with you,
I feel like I -- I'm not proud of this, but I --
I don't know if I felt entitled to do it before.
-Really? -Like, I think in some ways I --
I've always been a lover of movies,
and I've always been a storyteller.
But I think I kind of thought I had to put it in my acting.
And I like acting. I love acting.
-Yeah, you don't want to do everything.
Like, you don't feel like you've earned it?
-Well, I think maybe somewhere, I didn't, to be honest.
And then, I grew up a little bit.
And I found a book that I loved, and I wrote to the author.
-What is the book? Who's the author?
-It's Elena Ferrante's novel "The Lost Daughter."
And Elena Ferrante is actually a pen name.
She's anonymous. No one knows who she is.
She's an Italian author.
She writes in Italian. And, um...
-Wow. -I wrote her a letter,
and I explained to her some beginning ideas
of what I might like to do with the movie,
and she gave me the rights.
And even that, I was like -- It was amazing to me.
-And have you talked to her? -No, because she's anonymous.
But last weekend, she wrote me a letter in "The Guardian"
and said -- basically, gave me her blessing.
-Wow. -Yeah.
[ Cheers and applause ]
-[ Italian accent ] Because I just wanted
to a-tell you that I wrote the book.
[ Laughter ]
It is me who wrote you the letter!
-It's so funny because I'm...
I just wanted you to know.
[ Laughter ]
-So, I think that's fun, though.
So, you contact her, she writes you back.
I mean, it's really -- -No, it was -- it blew my mind.
It blew my mind.
I mean, I literally, like, I woke up --
-But she said you have to direct.
-Yeah, she did. So there was a point where --
I asked her if I could have the rights to write and direct it.
And then I got scared.
I mean, which I think is fair enough.
And I said -- I said to the publisher,
I was like, "Hey, look, can I have an out?
What if I don't want to direct it?
What if, you know, we can't get the money with me directing it?
What if I have to act in it?"
-And this is all anxiety talking?
-Yeah. Yeah, I was scared.
-Yeah. -And it came back from her, "No.
I only want to give you the rights if you direct it."
-Go for it. I think it's great.
-Thank you. [ Cheers and applause ]
-I think it's awesome. -Thank you.
-You're gonna crush it. It's going to be so much fun.
-Thank you.
-'Cause I do love your acting.
Let's talk about "The Kindergarten Teacher."
You want to set it up for everyone?
What is this about? -Well, it's --
It's a movie about a woman who gets obsessed with a child
in her kindergarten class who's 5...
-Yes.
-...when she starts to think that he's a poetic genius.
But really what it's about is the consequences
of what happens when you starve a vibrant woman's mind.
And so it's kind of a horror movie,
thriller, roller-coaster trip.
-Because she -- in her -- she is a poet.
-Yeah. She's a poet.
And she -- And nobody cares about her work.
-I guess -- -And she's a good poet.
-Yeah. -But, I like --
You know, she could be anything.
Like many women, I think, right now,
she kind of wakes up to the fact
that she's actually not okay with all the ways
that she's had to twist herself around to get by
and all the ways she's had to compromise herself.
And -- -Wow.
-And she starts doing some pretty messed-up things.
-Yeah.
I will say the child is a great actor.
He really is 5 years old. Is that right?
-Yeah. He's 5.
I mean, is he a great actor?
He was wonderful.
But, I mean, are 5-year-olds really actors?
I mean, he was, like, a wonderful, bright,
incredible presence.
He's smart. You know --
-How do you act with a -- Because he's never acted before.
-No. He's never acted before.
I mean, you know -- -I mean, it's hard to say.
Yeah, he acted when he was 4. [ Light laughter ]
-Exactly. Exactly.
Sometimes he'd have to go home,
and I would have to shoot my side of the scene
literally, with our 50-year-old bearded first A.D.
[ Laughter ]
-Wait. What? Dressed as a 5-year-old?
-Just squatting down on the ground.
[ Laughter ]
So I'm that good.
-Now, that's acting right there. I mean, come on.
[ Cheers and applause ]
That is acting right there.
I want to show everyone a clip.
Here's Maggie Gyllenhaal in "The Kindergarten Teacher."
Take a look at this.
-Jacket's tight on my arms.
I want to take it off.
-[ Sniffles, sighs ]
-Why are you upset?
-I'm not.
I'm just emotional because I'm so proud of you.
You did such a beautiful job.
-They clapped for me.
-[ Sniffles ] They loved it.
[ Cheers and applause ] -That is how you do it.
Maggie Gyllenhaal, everybody.
Check out "The Kindergarten Teacher,"
out this Friday in select theaters
and streaming on Netflix.