"Maggie Gyllenhaal"

Maggie Gyllenhaal joins hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett on SmartLess to discuss her transition from acclaimed acting to directing, her new film The Bride!, and the nuances of leading a creative team. With her background as the daughter of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and writer Naomi Foner (who directed her first film at 70), she shares how she wrote and directed The Lost Daughter four years ago and now The Bride!, out March 6, starring Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, Penélope Cruz, and Annette Bening.

From Acting to Directing

Gyllenhaal prefers directing over acting because it lets her oversee the entire process and create space for others to contribute freely, unlike acting where performers often protect their key impulses amid constraints. She didn't initially imagine directing, seeing few women in the role during her youth, but playing a director on The Deuce sparked the idea. For The Lost Daughter, she wrote the script and proceeded step-by-step, finding it a better fit immediately. Directing her second film felt scarier due to its larger budget, scope, and stars, though the workflow mirrored the first once underway, aided by top department heads and a longer schedule (about twice Lost Daughter's 26 days).