Mike Mills on Why Writer Directors Must Follow the Actor s Lead

Mike Mills is a screenwriter and director, but could be considered first and foremost an actors collaborator. Not only have his films produced some of the most naturalistic performances in recent memory, hes the kind of filmmaker who follows actors leads, singing their praises at every step of the pagetoscreen process. Whatever feels real and alive to them, thats where Im gonna go, he says in this revealing interview. He also grapples with the mysteries inherent in filmmaking: As a directorwriter person, one would think you know everything about your you dont. With a background in visual art that transitioned to music videos, Mike is best known for his awardwinning feature films Thumbsuckers, Beginners, and 20th Century Women. Hes turned elements of his life into autobiographically inspired stories, including the newly released Cmon Cmon from A24, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, and Woody Norman. In this episode, Jack is joined by Backstage senior st