“God kissed her on the cheek and there she was”: A selection Billy Wilder’s favourite actors
Being one of history’s greatest filmmakers is a rare distinction in itself, but Billy Wilder went above and beyond the standard hallmarks of greatness to gain a reputation for being an actor’s director, something that can’t always be said of cinema’s most notable auteurs.
As well as winning six competitive Academy Awards – three for ‘Best Original Screenplay’, two for ‘Best Director’, and one for ‘Best Picture’ – and an honorary trophy, he had a habit of bringing the best out of his performers, with no less than 14 different names having been shortlisted for an Oscar for their work in one of Wilder’s features.
Only two of them won, though, and only one of them was among his personal favourite actors. Jack Lemmon may have scooped a pair of Oscars to call his own, but neither of them came about as a result of the seven films he made together with Wilder, which helped establish them as one of the most formidable actor/director partnerships there’s ever been.
Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Irma la Douce, The Fortune Cookie, Avanti!, The Front Page and Buddy Buddy ensured they were very familiar with each other’s company on-screen and off, with Wilder making a point of needling and praising his most trusted collaborator whenever the opportunity presented itself.
Lemmon had a tendency to be performatively broad, which could often veer a little too close to overacting for Wilder’s tastes. The latter once described the former as “a ham”, but it was intended as a compliment after he clarified that “with ham, you have to trim a little fat”. He knew how to get the best out of him, and that was encapsulated by his definition of happiness, which Wilder distilled to “working with Jack Lemmon”.
One actor who did win an Oscar for a Wilder-directed film was Stalag 17‘s William Holden, which was the only victory of his storied career. Another recurring fixture of the repertory, having also worked with the filmmaker on Sunset Boulevard and Sabrina, Wilder anointed Holden as “the ideal motion picture actor”, which is about as high as praise can get coming from a talent of such extensive expertise and know-how.
Shirley MacLaine only made two movies with Wilder – The Apartment and Irma la Douce, both of which starred Lemmon – but that was more than enough to secure a spot on his list of favoured names. The feeling was mutual, with the star sharing how he was “very funny and sensitive when it came to what he thought would be best for the screen”.
That being said, she did concede to Variety that as much as she adored Wilder, she “wouldn’t put him at the head of the line for women’s liberation”. On the other hand, she made a “great friend” in Lemmon, which came through working together with the director, leaving the three of them forever intertwined.
In typical Wilder fashion, even though another of his standout talents that stuck in his memory only worked with him once, it was as part of a production that featured another of his personal favourites. Audrey Hepburn co-starred alongside the aforementioned Holden in Sabrina, which was more than enough to leave Wilder enthralled. “God kissed on the cheek and there she was,” he said of the iconic star, who knew exactly what sort of wattage she exuded.
In a conversation with Cameron Crowe, Wilder shared that even though she was “this tiny person,” from the second she stood in front of the camera, “she was Miss Audrey Hepburn.” He worked with many of the greats, but it takes a special sort of performer to make such a lasting impact on someone of Wilder’s status, which speaks volumes about Lemmon, Holden, MacLaine, and Hepburn.
