Spielberg on Child Actors, UFOs & His Biggest Regrets

Do I believe that aliens are here and. have [music] been here? I've been. waiting to see UFO my entire life. >> [laughter]. >> I'd always want to make a James Bond. film from the day I saw Dr. No. They. consistently turned me down. >> Why? >> He never explained why, but when I told. that story to George Lucas, I told my. sad combi broccoli story they wouldn't. let me direct Bond, [music] and that's. when George said, "I have something. better than Bond. It's called.

>> The Rest Is Entertainment is presented. by Octopus Energy. Now, fan mail is one. of entertainment's strangest bargains. You send total devotion one way and the. understanding that nothing may come. back. >> Certainly in our day you would write to. a film star or a singer. I wrote to. Howard Jones, and you maybe 3 months later a sort of. signed photo comes back that's clearly. pro forma, you know, that that you you. know Howard's never really looked at. >> Steve Martin used to have a pro forma. sort of thing which would just leave. blanks like insert like small details to.

make a joke about how completely. impersonal his personal reply to you. was. So it was just like a standard. thing. >> Impersonal is interesting. That's why. we're talking about this cuz Octopus. Energy, you always can reply to their. emails. And not only can you reply to. them, they will go to the same small. group of people who always deal with. you. That's like unbelievable. >> It's almost unprecedented that a company. you're giving your your money to will. actually respond to you. >> Are contactable in some way. Steven Spielberg, how lovely to see you. >> good to see you again.

>> Thank you. Last time I saw Steven he was taken off. in a helicopter. >> I was on a set with Richard. >> Exactly. On on Thursday medical now, but. we are here to talk about all sorts of. things, but first I want to talk about. disclosure day cuz as I've just told you. I thought it was magnificent. I was. trying to work out which of our listener. questions would lead us into it best. Lots to talk about. So we're going to go. very very route one from Dan Young. And. Dan says, "Do you believe in aliens?". >> I do believe that we are not alone in. the cosmos, in the universe.

>> [snorts]. >> As far as do I believe that aliens are. here and have been here 50 years ago to. make close encounters, I would have said. seeing is believing and I haven't seen. one. I've not even seen the UFO. But today. I'm more inclined to say with all the. smartphones that are out there and all. the things that I've seen and all the. people who I believe believe the. believers, I am absolutely ready to say. that I do believe that we are not alone.

here on this planet. >> Was that one of the things that prompted. you? I don't know how much you want to. give away about the plot to Disclosure. Day. Is that one of the things that. prompted you to to make it? >> Well, one of the things that prompted me. to make it was just that whistleblowers. were now coming from higher. levels of authority. They were coming. from the United States Air Force. They. were coming from the from Navy pilots. They were coming from our intelligence. community in Washington. People were. blowing the whistle and saying that the. government has been hiding for decades. the truth that we are not alone and and.

I started believing those believers and. not just the people the rank and file. people who have had close encounters of. all kinds throughout all of these years. that we've all been reading about. Documentaries have been made about them. The Ariel School in Zimbabwe where those. 60 kids had that phenomenal encounter. with beings from off world. So many. things have happened that I am now. really in a position to I think tell a. story about it.

>> Well, our next question is from a boy. called Luke Esterhazy. He says, "I'm 11. years old. My favorite film of all time. is Jurassic Park. I was wondering what. your favorite film was when you were 11. and why?". >> Oh, that's a great question. When I was. 11 years old what was my favorite film? My goodness. Probably. when I was 11, I would have to say my. favorite film is something that you've. never seen. It was called Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier with Fess.

Parker and Buddy Ebsen, and it was the. first uh cultural phenomenon. of a motion picture that appealed to. kids. There've been a lot of cultural. phenomenon that appealed to adults like. Gone with the Wind prior to that. But. when I was 11 years old, that was the. bomb. That was the movie that we were. reenacting in our backyards. That was. the film that they started selling. merchandise, coonskin caps, and powder. horns, and plastic models of his rifle. Old Betsy. That was for me the first.

Star Wars of films that really reached. my 11-year-old neighborhood. >> And is there still a bit of you that. puts all of that in your films? If you. know what I mean, the the film you like. most at 11 kind of [clears throat] stays. with us. Is that something you try and. recreate for for people watching your. movies? >> I just try to tell a story as. effectively as I I know how to do. I've. not really settled on one genre in my. career. Science fiction perhaps is the. most consistent genre. of all the films I've directed.

>> I was funny for watching Disclosure. today. I was thinking about Stephen. King, and I think one thing both of you. have in common is you can go anywhere. because you're so rooted in reality. When you're doing reality, when you're. doing a street, I believe I am in a. street, and therefore, you know, there. can be a time portal, there can be. aliens, there can be whatever you want. And that's the thing is it's starting. with the real and then. going outwards. >> Well, I'm I'm devoted to Stephen King's. work. I know Stephen. Stephen knows me. We've done some things together. throughout our careers. I'm a eternal admirer of his. And and.

like Michael Crichton as well, they both. operate under the theory. that they must make the incredible. credible in order to get us to believe. the characters in their stories. So, they don't allow themselves. to untether weightlessly and spinning. yarns that have no relationship with our. reality. And and because their reality. is my reality and their reality is our.

reality, which is they tell terrestrial. stories and they put a spin of fantasy, science fiction, science. uh Jurassic Park wouldn't have worked. unless Michael Crichton could make all. of us in his novel believe the dinosaurs. could come back from amber, from biting. insects that bit dinosaurs 65 million. years ago and can be can be cloned. And. it's good science and that's the. important thing about the kind of movies. that I make. If I'm going to make a.

movie that is stranger than fiction, then there has to be some bedrock. science to let audiences believe it's. credible. >> Well, I think you have nailed that with. disclosure. They all say this. Uh here's. here's a one of our listeners, this is. not a question, but Declan Costello. says, "Many years ago, I auditioned for. the role of Jim in Empire of the Sun. I got down to the last five boys. considered for the part, but it. obviously went to Christian Bale. So, you wrote me a beautiful letter, which I treasure. But then he says, here's the kicker, "You definitely made the right decision, by the way. I am a much better doctor.

than I would have been an actor.". >> Oh, that's wonderful. Well, listen, Declan, you have saved lives. You You. found a career where you are able to. bring peace and health. to people who are who are ill. What a. wonderful thing to devote your entire. life toward. >> He's got still your letter which he sent. to us and it's absolutely lovely. >> Yeah, I love that. >> I have to say that you've you've managed. to get so many great performances out of. children and young people. And you have. a lot of children. Did directing teach.

you anything about parenthood and did or. did parenthood teach you anything about. directing? >> Parenthood. actually keeps me young and relevant. >> Yeah. >> Because my kids are on the first line of. saying, "Dad, you don't know what you're. talking about. Oh my goodness, Dad, you. don't know what that phrase means? You've never heard that before? Dad, have you listened to this piece of. music? What do you mean you haven't. listened to this piece of music?" I. mean, my kids have at least kept me. current. >> Do you ever I would say, "Guys, I'm. Steven Spielberg.". >> I don't have a reality about that, you.

know? I don't even have my name on my. directing chair on sets. I don't put my. name on directing chairs on sets. The. thing that my biggest challenge when I'm. working with actors who have haven't. worked with before. is to get them to forget every movie I. ever made. >> So many people ask us about that. >> and and just completely divest. yourselves of everything you think I am. and let's just get down to the business. at at hand and let's make a great movie. together. Let's take a tell a great. story together cuz whenever I make a. movie, I have a family. It's a film.

family. It's an ensemble. It's a company. of actors and and crew as well. And we need to be a family for a long. time. Sometimes months on end we're. working together and I can't let. anything distract them. And they we they could look, it's fine. if they want to talk about what ET meant. to them when they were 8 years old. I'm. happy about having that conversation, but just not to forget that we're all. the same telling this story. We're all. on the same page. >> Yeah. Even when he was doing The Wolf of.

Wall Street, Leonardo DiCaprio said he. came on set one day and he was so. nervous that whole day. He was doing something something you do. with Scorsese that day and he just he. tells the other day in an interview. saying, "Oh my god, I was so nervous.". >> I I even saw that Thursday murder club. Even even Helen Mirren's like, "Oh man, Steven Spielberg's. the only guy who kept his cool as Pierce. Brosnan because he always keeps his. cool.". >> Well, Pierce Brosnan was my neighbor on. the beach for 20 years. So So, Pierce, when he saw me coming along, it was kind. of like, "Why'd you sell your beach. house? You stopped being my neighbor 10.

years ago.". >> Why don't you put your bins out on the. wrong day, Steven? >> [laughter]. >> Um Betsy Ross has a question. She said. you were almost as young as Cain. Parsons, the director of Back Rooms and. Curry Barker, the director of Obsession. when you made Jaws. What advice would. you give to up-and-coming young. directors? >> Don't let success go to your heads. Uh do not let wild success go to your. heads because when you make your next. movie you're starting from scratch. It's. always good to have a big hit to shore. up your reputation and you're going to. get a lot of respect from the. executives, from the film world, from.

the studios, giving them the advice that. I have had to learn the hard way that we. all start over again. And if you make. get a chance to make 20, 30 films in. your career, you will discover, maybe on your second. or third film, that you're beginning. your career all over again at the outset. of every single project. >> Did you feel that with Disclosure, though? >> absolutely. Every movie I've made I feel. like I'm going back to the beginning. >> Yeah. Well, you passed. >> Oh, thank you. Thank you, Richard. >> Here's one from Anil Patel. He says,

"Gore Vidal once said, 'Every time a. friend succeeds, I die a little.'". Did you experience any pangs of jealousy. for George Lucas and Francis Ford. Coppola in the pre-Jaws 1970s? >> No, never. Francis was our godfather. Francis, we looked up to Francis. He he. was our leader throughout the '70s and. uh The Godfather, and I have said this. before, it's for me it's the greatest. American film ever made. The first. Godfather film was the greatest American. film ever made. And I've always believed. that, and George and I were best friends.

from the day we met. And yes, we were we. were competitive with each other, but it. made us better at what we do. Because I. was always trying to top George, and. George was always trying to top me, and. then we would get be together and joke. about that and be honest with each. other. And so George gave me. inspiration, and I gave him inspiration, and we have all these years been feeding. off each other. >> And do you still think that The. Godfather is the greatest film of all. time, and you've never There's a quote. from the '90s where you said, "I've. never made made a movie anywhere near as. good as The Godfather." Do you still. think that?

>> For me, a. the first Godfather, is the greatest. American film of all time. I don't think. it's the greatest film of all time. >> And you feel that you have to make. nothing close to it. >> It's very, very hard for me to be. objective about my own work. Very hard. >> Um Julian asks, "Uh were you ever. approached to make a Bond film? Do you. have any regrets about not doing that?". >> I have regrets that they didn't approach. me to direct a Bond film. >> They never approached you? >> I approached Cubby Broccoli. >> Yeah. >> after Jaws was a big hit. I've always. I'd always want to make a James Bond.

film from the day I saw Dr. No. So, I. called Cubby Broccoli after Jaws and I. volunteered. I said, "If you need a. director, I would love to direct one.". And he said, "No.". And he moved on. And then Cubby called. me again after Close Encounters came out. and that was a big hit. And Cubby called. me a few years after Close Encounters. and said, "We'd like to use the five. notes in Moonraker." Da da da da da. And I said, "I'll make you a deal. I'll give you permission to use the five. notes if you let me direct a Bond film.". And he said, "No.". But I gave him the five notes anyway.

So, I they consistently turned me down. >> Why? >> He never explained why he wasn't letting. me in the Bond family. But when I told. that story to George Lucas in 19 '77, when we were in Hawaii together getting. ready for the release of Star Wars, A. New Hope, we all went to to Hawaii. together to just relax and and get on. the phone and figure out how much money. it made at at the 10:00 shows all over. America. And when we found out that. every single 10:00 a.m. show had been.

sold out, George was just a buoyant. Marsha, his wife, was a buoyant. We went. back down to the beach and I told my sad. Cubby Broccoli story they wouldn't let. me direct Bond and that's when George. said, "I have something better than. Bond. It's called Indiana Smith," which. is what it was called at the time. And. he told me the premise of the Indiana. Jones series and that's how I got that. job. So, if they ever asked me to make a Bond. film now, my answer would be. you can't afford me.

>> [laughter]. [music]. >> This episode is brought to you by. Lloyds. Now, I love it when characters. are part of a club. You wouldn't know. anything about that, would you, Richard? >> The Thursday Murder Club in some ways. reminds me of the A-Team. >> I would now like to map each of those. characters onto the A-Team and feel I. probably could. I mean, Elizabeth is. Hannibal and it's not even close. >> [laughter]. >> That's That's exactly right. And Ron is. Howling Mad Murdoch. >> Well, there are definite perks to being. in a club. Just ask the members of Club. Lloyds. Because with Club Lloyds, you.

can bank on Lloyds to give you more. wherever you are. >> If you join Club Lloyds, there's all. sorts of benefits you can choose. between. There's, for example, six free. cinema tickets. >> They've got an annual coffee club and. gourmet society membership, which would. be mine. >> And also something that the Thursday. Murder Club would enjoy very, very much. indeed. To top it all off, you have. fee-free spending abroad, which means. wherever you are, you won't be charged. by Lloyds to use your debit card when. you're traveling. Now, joining this club. costs £5 per month, but that is refunded. in any month that you pay £2,000 into.

your account. >> Now, that is a club that's worth being. part of. Check out Club Lloyds today. You'll need to be a UK resident and aged. 18 or over to apply. >> It's nearly that time, everyone. The. Rest Is Football will be on Netflix. every day for the world's biggest. tournament. Join myself, Alan and Micah. for daily debates, unfiltered takes, and. the most special of guests, all from the. heart of New York City. Yeah, that's. right. We're excited, too. See you soon.

>> I think we'll have Shane Murray's. version of this question. You've shaped. modern cinema like nobody else, but. whose film do you secretly wish you had. your name on? Is there a story that. someone beat you to that still haunts. you, apart from Bond stories? >> Oh, no. There's the only film that It's. not even a regret, but I I did my friend. George Lucas a favor, and I actually. we needed to move up the start date of. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. I. was all about to direct Rain Man. >> Yeah. >> Uh Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise had. already committed when they sent me the.

script. I worked on the script with the. writer Ron Bass for a while. and uh I was getting ready to make the. movie in about 5 or 6 months and I had. to drop out to to do Last Crusade. instead, which I was previously. obligated to do. And that was the only. fish that I felt got away. I and I love. what Barry Levinson did with it. I. thought it was a great movie. It stands. the test of time. It's still one of my. favorite films. >> Can I ask you to go back to disclosure. day for a minute? Can I Can I present a. thought experiment to you? >> Okay.

>> Which is. there is biological life out there. >> Yeah. >> somewhere in the universe and amongst. the trillions of stars and the trillions. of universes. Somewhere there will be a life force. that is something like us and is more. advanced than us so can study us and may. at some point come to visit. May have. already visited. If they are to do that. they will do their research into Earth. Do you think there are aliens out there. that have seen Spielberg movies? >> I would certainly think that by by. whatever form they could, let's say,

commune. >> Mhm. >> with our art. >> Yeah. >> or with our that medium. Whatever form. they get, I'm sure it's not going to be. a Blu-ray. I'm not sure exactly. [laughter] I'm not sure the 1990s are. going to go into a Blockbuster and get a. Blu-ray, although that would be a great. fodder for a good comedy that maybe Seth. Rogen should make. But I would think. that had they seen E.T., this is only my. my conceited hope, they would have. somehow made themselves known to me and. they didn't. I've been waiting to see a. UFO my entire life.

>> Do you know what? Disclosure day is. another letter to the aliens, right? It's another one that's saying, "Look, I. get it." Cuz I do think if they if they. do come down, who are they going to talk. to? I think if you look around the. world, if I'm an alien, the first person. I say, "Could you get me Spielberg?". >> Oh, well, gee, wouldn't that be neat? >> Yeah. That would be lovely. >> Wouldn't that be lovely? But but I but I. I think that a higher intelligence where. let's say more advanced intelligence. where the the physics are different, obviously they've learned how to.

circumvent the cosmos in in they they. found shortcuts to get here. Whether. they're interdimensional beings, whether. they're they're they they have found. ways through wormholes to. to find shortcuts here. However it is, I. think the thinking their thinking would. also be. uh almost unrelatably more advanced. >> You don't think they would still have. stories? >> Yes, they would probably have their own. narrative form of storytelling. And I'd. be curious about that. I I was always.

wondering. um what would a alien life form coming. here, how would they interpret art? What. would their art be? How would they. express their art? >> Yeah, what would they be pointing to. going, "I love that.". >> What if they come down and just say, "Such as we tell you the movie we love, Rain Man." You know, there we [laughter] go. That's. absolutely typical. >> As long as they don't come down and say, "You know, the best movies we've ever. seen is everything Roger Corman ever. produced." That would be really fun. >> Lucas and and Coppola, they came out of. Roger Corman to some extent that they he.

those cheap ways of doing things. We. were I was thinking about him a lot this. week because of the backrooms or. obsessions with people coming out of. YouTube. >> Roger Corman was one of the greatest. believers. in young storytelling and young. storytellers. Uh. he gave so many breaks to my colleagues. that are still working today. Martin. Scorsese and George Lucas and others. wouldn't Francis Coppola wouldn't have. gotten their early starts without Roger. I keep thinking that Roger Corman. and the Sundance Institute.

have done more to put new blood into. this industry than any other individual. or or Robert Redford, any other. individual that's created an institute. that believed in new storytellers. >> I have a question from Darren Seeker. He. says, do you think there's a single. moment from one of your films that sums. up your view of the world? >> No, there isn't because I'm really an. eclectic moviegoer, you know, I I find. value in everything I see. I've never. seen a bad movie. I've seen movies I don't like, but I've.

never seen a bad movie. I always find. something I like about films that maybe. are universally. not spoken highly of. I always find. something good. >> And do you think it's exciting that all. these people can come up via YouTube now. in a way that it was obviously so. expensive for you to make something even. like Amblin or one of those really early. things that you made was obviously still. very expensive to to produce and that. now people can come up through this. different medium and that they still I. guess want to put their stuff in. theaters.

>> You you can't believe how many young. people come up to me and say, how do I. get started making movies? I just say, do you have a smartphone? They say, yeah, right here. I said, you just found. your way of getting started. >> And but are you encouraged now that. people seem to be, this new generation, going back into actual theaters? >> It's critical for the longevity of. motion picture exhibition, without which. everything will be a home experience or. basically a smartphone experience. And I. don't think anybody, you know, should watch a first-run movie.

on a very teeny screen. I mean, it's. okay to come home and watch a first-run. movie on on like a screen in your home, but I prefer movie movie theaters. I. prefer the moviegoing experience. I was. >> It's interesting that Gen Z, they they. want to be together because I suppose so. much of what people experience now is. solitary, completely solitary on a. phone, and actually to want to go into. movie theaters and have the experience. together is something quite. old-fashioned. >> I don't think people liked.

being isolated during COVID. I don't. think people liked. the fact that they were denied, you. know, social entry into back into. society because we were all essentially. we went within we went underground. We. took shelter. We all got in their own bomb shelters. during COVID. And I think people are now. starting to realize the importance of. big group communal experiences by. getting our communities back together. again watching concerts, watching plays,

watching movies, watching opera, going. to New York City Ballet Company. I mean, this is people getting back together. again is the greatest way to bridge our. differences. >> And I will say to in order to do that. you need great art. And I will having. watched Disclosure Day in the cinema, it. I said to you when you came in, I felt. like a child again. It's a proper you. have to watch it in the cinema. I was. leaning forward almost the whole way. through that film. Just and it just felt.

like a communal experience. But that. doesn't exist without the thing that you. do. So I don't have a question. That's. just to say. >> Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Richard, so much for that. Thank you. >> What were your parents' favorite films? >> My mom and dad love musicals. They loved. the the Hollywood musical and they would. take me with them to see Hollywood. musicals in 1950s and 60s. I got to see. some of the great musicals and in first. run in theaters. When you're a kid, the. only way you see a movie is your parents. have to drive you unless you've got a.

movie theater in within safe walking. distance from home. And. that was their favorite films. They they. just loved that and Gene Kelly and Fred. Astaire and Cyd Charisse and Donald. O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds. I mean I mean. that was. I never saw a Singin' in the Rain in a. movie theater. I saw it on television. when it came on television, but I but I. saw Funny Face at a drive-in. You know, there's a lot of things that I saw in. first run theaters and and that's in a. way what drove me to make West Side. Story eventually.

>> My wife cried from second one to the. final second. They're literally the. whole way through. She was every time I. looked at her, she was in tears. David. adds, "What was your parents' favorite movie. of yours? Did they have one?". >> Uh Schindler's List. >> Amazing. >> My dad My dad's favorite movie of mine. was Saving Private Ryan cuz my dad's of. the greatest generation. He He fought in. World War II. >> And that was his generation. And my. mom's and my dad's was also uh. Schindler's List. >> And that must make you feel very proud. >> It does. It It does. >> Steven, thank you so much. We had so.

many questions we could have asked you. We picked a highlight so thank you to. everyone at home. >> And I answered every question. >> He did. He didn't pass. >> These were all great questions. >> Hanks, he was pass pass pass. >> No. >> He wasn't. He wasn't. >> Everyone was great. >> Uh Steven, thank you. This is absolutely. wonderful film. Uh I I said to someone. at Amblin, I said it was like watching a. great Spielberg movie. Uh and it it really really was. So, thank you. >> Thank you for that. >> Thank you so much. >> So much. Thank you. This was just such a. pleasure.

>> That was extraordinary. >> Yeah. I mean, we have had some pretty. amazing moments in the last few weeks, but there's something about people who I. think at that stage in their career. that are able to remain childlike and. innocent and so kind of excited by the. world. >> understands what they've done. And. there's It's just Yeah, it it was I. mean, gosh, what a career. And um you. know, I always say beforehand that if. there's any questions you want to pass, you both. zero passes. He just went straight in on. every single question. Uh and I got to.

ask my one about whether he thought. aliens had ever watched a Spielberg. film. So, I was Did you spot that was the Did. you spot that was the mental one? >> He properly engaged with it. >> didn't he? >> He He thought he didn't They They didn't. watch the first one, but maybe they'll. watch the new one. >> Well, that's what I was thinking. I. think but surely they must have done. I'm surely when they come down, who are. they going to ask to to speak to? >> Yes. >> But you You know what I mean? >> Take me to Steven Spielberg. >> Take me to Spielberg. >> Yeah. >> Take me to Barry Levinson. That's what I wanted. But that that was. an absolute Once again, thank you so. much for sending in your questions. We.

love doing these interviews. >> And people love the fact that it's. listener questions. They think it's. because by the way, journalists always. ask the same boring. >> I know. And we can be really cheeky as. well and there's your fault. That's the. that's the absolute joy of it. We need. to go and decompress, I think. >> We do. >> Good. Next week it'll just be me and you. talking. >> [laughter]. >> Oh god. >> We'll make it special then. >> Yeah, we'll make it special. >> All right then. See you next Tuesday. >> See [music] you next Tuesday. >> [music].