How Paul Thomas Anderson’s favourite actor broke his heart: “I wanted to crawl under a rock”
Paul Thomas Anderson is one of those rare filmmakers identifiable by just his initials—PTA. A key figure in the ‘video store’ generation of directors, Anderson didn’t attend film school but instead developed his cinematic education through a personal passion for film, nurtured by frequent visits to local video stores. It has yielded some of the better filmmakers of the moment and suggests that maybe school isn’t all it’s cracked up to be in the realm of movies.
This leaning toward love for film over education in the art form is evident throughout Anderson’s oeuvre and is a notable feature of his fanbase. Though not necessarily appealing to a general audience—his 1999 work Magnolia has a runtime of over three hours and deals with the consequences of child abuse in an experimental, kaleidoscopic fashion—his films have consistently garnered praise from a niche of self-proclaimed film fanatics across the world.
Widely considered Anderson’s breakout film, the 1997 genre-defying Boogie Nights, featuring Anderson’s frequent collaborator Philip Seymour Hoffman, received three Academy Award nominations. In 2007, the epic thriller There Will Be Blood went on to receive the Academy Awards for ‘Best Actor’ and ‘Best Cinematography’. In short, Anderson is a director with many accolades under his belt and a history of working with some of the best in the business, from Joaquin Phoenix to Tom Cruise.
Indeed, Anderson once famously told Quentin Tarantino that “the best special effect you can have is a great actor”. But equally, it is clear from Anderson’s films that he is skilled at getting the best out of his performers. He has a habit of working with ensemble casts, which are famously difficult to manage as a director. However, he does so with incredible skill, ensuring each complex element of his films meshes perfectly into an intricately structured whole.
Inseparable from Anderson’s approach to working with actors is his personal passion and respect for film history. In an interview with Filmmaker Magazine, Anderson professed his love for the American filmmaker and actor Elaine May, stating, “I love Elaine May deeply, with passion!” Though he has never worked with the legend, he was infatuated with her work, especially as a comedian.
Known to many as the mother of modern improvisation, May is perhaps best remembered for her part in the improvisational comedy duo act ‘Nichols and May’. May’s work with Nichols was allegedly “really important” for Anderson, with the director describing the albums the duo produced as “bibles around my house”. The pair are often cited as key influences in modern comedy, and three of their comedy albums consistently landed in the charts between 1959 and 1962.
Later, May would shift her career focus, directing controversially satirical films, including the 1976 gangster movie Mikey and Nicky and the 1987 adventure comedy Ishtar. In 1998, she won a Bafta for her screenwriting work on the comedy-drama Primary Colours.
Anderson recalls meeting comedy giant May at the New York Film Festival, claiming, “My heart got broken when I was introduced to her, and she looked at me and said, ‘Who are you?’ I wanted to crawl under a rock!” Evidently, not even the greatest directors are immune to the old adage: never meet your heroes. Anderson’s heart likely burst with joy the first time he laid eyes on May, but that was quickly broken in half with one painful phrase.
