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'The Interview': Maggie Gyllenhaal Thinks Hollywood Likes Women to Direct ‘Little Movies’

February 28, 2026 • 44m

Summary

⏱️ 8 min read

Overview

Maggie Gyllenhaal discusses her journey from actress to director, focusing on her latest film 'The Bride,' a reimagining of the Bride of Frankenstein story. She reflects on themes of female rage, sexual violence, working within the Hollywood studio system, and the challenges of creating art that pushes boundaries while reaching a wider audience. The conversation explores her relationships with family members in the industry, her experiences as a woman director, and the vulnerable process of releasing her work into the world.

From Acting to Directing: A Terrifying Leap

Gyllenhaal reveals the fear she experienced before committing to direct The Bride, recounting a pivotal moment in Venice where she nearly backed out. Her husband Peter Sarsgaard's gentle encouragement helped her push through the anxiety. She describes completing the film as going on a profound journey of learning, having only recently finished it in October after years of work.

  • Playing a director in The Deuce made Gyllenhaal realize she wanted to direct films herself
  • She experienced a moment of panic in Venice, considering letting someone else direct The Bride after she'd already written and cast it
  • Her husband told her 'you don't have to do it, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't'
  • She feels deeply in process and describes the experience as a transformative journey
" I remember being at Venice with Peter and feeling so scared about the prospect of directing The Bride. And we went to a lovely restaurant that we'd booked. We were so excited for it. We knew it. And I remember feeling so anxious and getting up and going to the bathroom, looking at myself in the mirror and thinking, oh, I don't have to direct this. I can let someone else direct it. "

Reimagining the Bride of Frankenstein

Gyllenhaal explains her fascination with the Bride of Frankenstein character, who appears for only three minutes in the original 1935 film without speaking a single word, yet has become a cultural icon. She discusses how the project emerged from her desire to make something on a 'pop level' that could reach more people while still telling untold stories. The film explores themes of monstrousness, both literal and metaphorical, as aspects of ourselves we must confront.

  • After The Lost Daughter's success, Gyllenhaal was pitched various IP projects and wanted to do something bigger that could reach more people
  • She saw someone with a Bride of Frankenstein tattoo and realized the character appears for less than three minutes in the original film without speaking
  • Gyllenhaal speculates that Mary Shelley may have had to censor herself to get Frankenstein published in the 19th century
  • The film explores the idea that we all have monstrous aspects inside us that we can either run from or confront
" The Bride of Frankenstein is a Frankenstein movie. There's almost nothing to do with The Bride of Frankenstein. She's like a prop. She's in it for three minutes less maybe, and she doesn't say one word. But somehow she has entered the cultural mythology, even though she doesn't get to speak. "

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