The bollocking that completely changed Steven Spielberg’s approach to filmmaking: “This is unacceptable”
Steven Spielberg has a universal and youthful spirit that has captured the hearts of audiences around the world. Whether it be the adventure-fuelled charm of Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park, the glorious eighties nostalgia of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and Hook or the haunting legacy of Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan, Spielberg has done something that very few directors have achieved, with a humanistic approach to each story that appeals to adults and children alike.
Even after decades in the business, countless creatives continue to sing his praises and speak highly of him as a collaborator, often described as being humble and kind in his work ethic. However, the director admitted that he hasn’t always been this way, and how one particular on-set moment changed his work ethic forever.
Kathleen Kennedy is one of the great Hollywood producers of our time, now known for being the head of Lucas Films and producing an impressive collection of Academy-Award-winning films such as The Sixth Sense, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Schindlers List and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, frequently collaborating with Spielberg and Frank Marshall.
However, like many people in the industry, she started out at the bottom of the ladder and worked her way up, initially working as a first assistant director and Spielberg’s’ personal secretary. She was infamous for her work ethic and commitment to the craft, described as being “…the first person on set, the last person to leave. There was no job beneath her, no job above her”.
However, Kennedy had a long-lasting impact on Spielberg and his on-set attitude after one particular moment during the production of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. Spielberg admitted that he wasn’t being particularly kind or patient with the crew, something that Kennedy quickly put a stop to and changed his work ethic forever.
Spielberg described the incident saying, “Basically, I was a little bit of a hothead, impatient, and I would be hard on my crew — loving to my cast but tough on my crew. And about 15 days into shooting E.T., she pulled me into her office and sat me down in a chair and gave me the bollocking of my life. Because she did not like the way I was talking to the crew. She didn’t care for my impatience, she didn’t care for my sharpness. She said, ‘This is unacceptable behaviour,’ and I hadn’t heard that since a teacher in school or my own mom — and that was a big shift in my life. I became mindful because somebody I trusted and respected had called me out”.
While many people would perhaps be a little disgruntled after being yelled at by their secretary, Spielberg’s reaction and desire to improve shows his respect for all crew members, no matter their ranking or level of authority. Spielberg has become known for his collaborative approach to filmmaking and close relationships with his crew, which just goes to show how much we are shaped by the people we work with and how we can let ourselves evolve if we are open to those around us.
Many of the people we look up to are just as flawed as anyone else, and even our icons aren’t perfect from the start – sometimes, all it takes is someone to wake you up in order to become the person you’re supposed to be.
