From the Archives: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Digest
This podcast features a wide-ranging conversation with Maggie Gyllenhaal, touching on her childhood influences, early acting career, and her intellectual approach to performance. Gyllenhaal shares insights into her collaborations with directors like Mike Nichols and Austin Pendleton, emphasizing the importance of trust and a supportive creative environment. She discusses her role in "The Kindergarten Teacher," exploring its themes and her methods for working with child actors. The conversation also delves into the concept of "feminine filmmaking" and Gyllenhaal's personal pride in portraying "human" characters. Interspersed are discussions about March Madness, recommendations for true crime podcasts like "Love Trapped" and "Burden of Guilt," and an interview with Jamie Lee Curtis. Gyllenhaal also reveals her plans to adapt and direct Elena Ferrante's "The Lost Daughter."
Outlines
Introduction, Sports, and Podcast Network
The podcast opens with standard introductions, mentioning its affiliation with the iHeart podcast network. It then dives into discussions about March Madness and sports commentary, promoting the "Flagrant and Funny" podcast for unfiltered sports takes.
Conversations with Jamie Lee Curtis and Podcast Deep Dives
Questlove shares his experience interviewing Jamie Lee Curtis, highlighting her candidness. The podcast introduces true crime series "Love Trapped," detailing a paternity scandal, and "Burden of Guilt," focusing on a story of a lie that destroyed families.
Maggie Gyllenhaal's Career Beginnings and Influences
Alec Baldwin discusses Maggie Gyllenhaal's career, noting Wikipedia inaccuracies and her film "The Kindergarten Teacher." Gyllenhaal shares details about her childhood, filmmaker parents, early TV influences, and how her husband broadened her film knowledge, leading to comparisons with Diane Keaton.
Gyllenhaal's Education and Early Acting Career
Gyllenhaal clarifies her acting debut was minor, discusses her English literature studies at Columbia, and her early theater experiences. She confirms acting as a lifelong ambition, crediting her education for developing crucial writing and communication skills.
Developing Assertiveness and Navigating Roles
Gyllenhaal details her journey from timidity to assertiveness in her acting career, discussing the challenges of early roles and how the film "Secretary" marked a turning point. She reflects on her intellectual approach to acting, influenced by feminist theory, and the importance of director-actor collaboration.
Directorial Styles: Mike Nichols and Austin Pendleton
Gyllenhaal shares anecdotes about working with Mike Nichols on "Working Girl," highlighting his insightful and collaborative direction. She praises Austin Pendleton's approach on "Uncle Vanya," emphasizing his ability to create a supportive environment for actors, and clarifies Scorsese's non-involvement with the production.
Trust in Director-Actor Relationships and "The Kindergarten Teacher"
Gyllenhaal expresses admiration for director Hugo Blick and discusses the crucial element of trust in director-actor relationships, inspired by their collaboration on "The Honorable Woman." She then details the process of getting "The Kindergarten Teacher" made, its themes, and her unique approach to working with child actors.
Audience Questions and Defining "Feminine" Cinema
Gyllenhaal addresses audience questions about playing "human" characters, interpreting reviews, and the definition of a "feminine movie." She reveals her plan to adapt and direct Elena Ferrante's "The Lost Daughter" and discusses life as a working actor couple with Peter Sarsgaard.
Keywords
March Madness
An annual men's NCAA Division I college basketball tournament.
Flagrant and Funny
A podcast offering unfiltered takes on sports moments and conversations.
Questlove
Musician, DJ, and podcast host known for his interviews.
Jamie Lee Curtis
Award-winning actress and producer.
Love Trapped
A podcast investigating true crime stories, including paternity fraud.
Burden of Guilt
A podcast exploring true stories of lies, crime, and confessions.
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Actress, producer, and director known for her roles in various films and TV series.
Here's The Thing
A podcast hosted by Alec Baldwin featuring interviews with artists and entertainers.
The Kindergarten Teacher
A film starring Maggie Gyllenhaal as a teacher with an obsessive nature.
Feminine Filmmaking
A concept exploring films created with a distinctly female perspective or sensibility.
Q&A
What is \"March Madness\" and what does the podcast \"Flagrant and Funny\" offer?
March Madness is the annual NCAA Division I men's college basketball tournament. \"Flagrant and Funny\" is a podcast that provides unfiltered takes on the biggest moments and conversations in sports.
Who did Questlove interview, and what was notable about the conversation?
Questlove interviewed actress and producer Jamie Lee Curtis. He found the conversation to be real, raw, and admired her perspective on life at 67.
What is the premise of the \"Love Trapped\" podcast, and what specific case is mentioned?
\"Love Trapped\" investigates true crime stories. One case highlighted involves former Bachelor star Clayton Eckard, paternity accusations, and internet detectives uncovering a pattern.
What is \"Burden of Guilt\" season 2 about?
\"Burden of Guilt\" season 2 tells the story of a horrendous lie that destroyed two families, involving a crime and a confession that changed everything.
What did Maggie Gyllenhaal discuss regarding her Wikipedia page and her film \"The Kindergarten Teacher\"?
Gyllenhaal discussed inaccuracies on her Wikipedia page and her excitement about \"The Kindergarten Teacher,\" a film she felt compelled to be a part of after reading the script.
How does Maggie Gyllenhaal prepare for her role as a teacher in \"The Kindergarten Teacher\"?
Gyllenhaal shadowed a kindergarten teacher for hours, observing her classroom and gathering insights to ensure her character was portrayed as an extraordinary teacher.
What is Maggie Gyllenhaal's perspective on playing \"human\" characters?
Gyllenhaal believes that the roles she is most proud of are those that portray \"human\" characters, finding them relatable even when they exhibit unconventional behavior.
What advice did an actor give about reviews, according to Maggie Gyllenhaal?
An actor advised that when reviews say you're bad, you're never as bad as they say, and when they say you're good, you're even better than they described.
How does Maggie Gyllenhaal define a \"feminine movie\"?
Gyllenhaal struggles to definitively define a \"feminine movie\" but suggests it's distinct from films made by women in a masculine world and relates to a more relaxed, authentic experience for female viewers, citing \"The Piano\" as an example.
What book has Maggie Gyllenhaal optioned to adapt and direct?
Maggie Gyllenhaal has optioned Elena Ferrante's novel \"The Lost Daughter\" to adapt and direct, with no intention of acting in it.
Show Notes
Maggie Gyllenhaal's in a good place right now, at least as far as work and family go. Her latest starring role is as a troubled teacher named Lisa Spinelli in The Kindergarten Teacher. It's an unsettling portrayal of, as Gyllenhaal tells Alec, the "f***ing dire" consequences of "starving a vibrant woman's mind." In the film, Lisa's mind-starvation manifests in an unhealthy, exploitative relationship with a kindergartner. It's not an easy thing to watch, and Gyllenhaal tells Alec, "I almost didn't do the movie because I thought, 'no movie is worth disturbing a child, even for a few minutes.'" But her concerns were addressed, she said yes, and the result is a performance Gyllenhaal feels really good about. In fact, she says she feels better and better about each role she takes on these days. It's from this career high that she and Alec talk about The Deuce, her college years, her alternate career in skating, and the happy joining of lives, careers, and vowels in her marriage to Peter Sarsgaard.
Originally aired October 9, 2018.
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