Nancy Meyers Week
Its Nancy Meyers Weekat Vulture.
Because itsThe Holidayseason, andIts Complicated.Somethings Gotta Give.
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And for full context,read Nancy Meyerss praise of Keatons performance in a deodorant commercial here.
Hi, Diane!Hi, how are you?
Im excited to talk to you.You are?
Oh, youll get over that fast.
As part of that, Im speaking to a lot of Nancys collaborators about their experiences working with her.
Today I talked to Steve Martin, and he said to say hello to you.I love Steve.
He loves you, too.I love Steve, and I love Marty [Short].
I love those guys, but I love Steve the most.
Steve didnt choose to marry me.
Unreasonable.But hes so great.
Tell me about the first time you met Nancy.
What do you remember about it?This was a long time ago.
I was working on a movie, and they talked to me.
It was nothing really exciting.
They seemed both very charming and okay.
You know, they sounded good.
Shes smarter than everyone else.
Its so annoying for me, not [being] in that league at all.[Laughs.]
Is thisBaby Boomwere talking about?Yeah,Baby Boom.
That was really a great experience for me.
How so?Because I love the woman I was playing.
You know, she gets a kid out of nowhere.
I mean, shes just like,Oh my God!
How do I get rid of it?
!I mean, it was fun.
And lets not forget Sam Shepard.
Lets not forget him … because wow.
]That was really fun too.
Im sure.I mean, reallyfun that he had to pretend like he was taken by me!
Youve worked with Nancy the most of any of her stars.
It was not a good time in my life in terms of work.
Charles directed that, too, but Nancy, as my director, she was always on it.
She was always there.
Every detail, she wrote it.
Its not loose and goosey, you know?
Like with some people, you work with them and its like, you get away with murder.
You dont do that with Nancy.
What you do is you really have to expand yourself.
You have to be better than what you know.
Shes very, very specific, which is why I think all of those comedies work so well.
Because I can get really sloppy, really fast.
And I like to be sloppy.[Laughs.]
Im surprised Ive had a career.
So anyway put that aside.
She thinks through everything with that brain of hers, which is unfair to the rest of us.
Do you remember a specific direction she gave you over the years that sort of stuck with you?
Like inBaby Boom,when Im at the well.
Its too much for me in one take.
God, no way.Rather recently, I watched it for some reason.
I dont know, she was getting another honor.
How many honors does a person get in life?
Nancys, like, stealing them all.
No, but it made me think about that scene.
And really thats because of her direction.
Apparently, she makes you do a lot of takes.
Thats the trend Im hearing in these interviews.Oh yeah.
Good, thats what I say: Give me more.
Im sure thats not true.Its true, and were moving on.
Too far back?I dont have a line that I carry around.
I just move on, you know, into oblivion.
Thats probably healthy.Its not, really.
It didnt take much for me to just start sobbing, because I like to listen to music.
So I would play the music before, and it just made me it just was so sad.
It would just make me sob.
Do you remember what music made you cry?Oh, I always have older music.
I liked a few Bob Dylan songs.
Can you believe that?
Music is the most powerful of all the arts, dont you think?
Oh, Bob Dylan, my God.
I mean, all sets are not cozy.
No, theyre anxiety driven.
Youre worried:Oh my God, I got through that.
Thats what it is for me.
Im not like a solid pro, you know?
It just rolls out.
So I have to work harder.
I mean, youre clearly her favorite person to work with.
She has called you dynamic and alive.This is where Nancy lost her little mind.
I am not dynamic.
Yes, you are.She, on the other hand, is dynamic.
So you could just put that in there.
Okay, I will.Youre going to do me that favor?
Sure.Good, thank you.
Whats your favorite thing you ever ate on a Nancy Meyers set?
Sorry, this is becoming about me.
It should be about you!Its really not interesting.
you might see that Im a social maven.
He just loses it, you know?
They didnt do the scene right.
I love that scene.
You didnt see it, did you?
No, I dont know what youre referring to.Youve got to see that!
And I think thats a lot of what we feel.
Do you still feel that way?
Even after having been an actor for so many years?Yeah.
I thought that was one of the most wonderful scenes Ive ever seen.
Okay, Ill figure out what it is and watch it.You better.
I will.Im going to sue you.
There is no detail Nancy doesnt tend to with a lot of attention and a lot of brainpower.
How would you characterize the style?
Like, for example, the way your character dresses inSomethings Gotta Give?My style is different.
Lets just say unusual.
Your personal style?Yeah.
When a scene is going well and she sees something and something makes her laugh, shell laugh.
Its really sweet, you know?
She loves her work.
Can you get fired?
Yeah, you’re able to fire me.
Do you want me to call up my editor?I dont know what to say about that.
Ive had many experiences with Nancy, you know?
Christmas and other holidays.
One of the things thats interesting about Nancy is that she built a house.
Its kind of overwhelming, you know, how she does all this.
I remember going over there and she was very, very specific.
I think she really loves what she does.
I think shes an artist!
I didnt really answer what you wanted me to say.
No, that was great.
How would you characterize your friendship after working together?
Now were in this horrible, horrible, horrible, horrible situation.
Thats a tragedy, you know?
And its getting worse.
I know.I feel so horrible.
All those people … oh my God.
Anyway, so thats kind of taken away the friendship situations because everybodys pretty scared.
Of course.You have to be so careful.
I hope youre careful.
I am very careful.
Dont worry.Are you married and all that stuff?
Im not married, but I do live with my boyfriend.Well, thats good.
Yes, were very careful.Dont have a lot of your friends over.
I promise.Dont enjoy your life.
I would never.Dont go out.
I promise Ill write this all down and say it was from Diane Keaton.Yeah, go ahead.
My last question for you is, What is your favorite Nancy Meyers movie?
They were so touching.
I just rewatched them, and they were just as good.Did you like them?
Yeah!I havent seen them since.
Well, I think its wonderful that youre doing this, and she deserves everything.
This was really special for me.
And theyve been great for years.
They Nancy, in particular, is a brilliant writer, and shes a great director.
