M. Night Shyamalan Recalls Bruce Willis Comparing Him to Quentin Tarantino Saying, "You Got It, Kid"
M. Night Shyamalan’s recent film Trap is not doing well, and it’s being completely slammed by critics. The movie is not good, and it’s just another addition to Shyamalan’s inconsistent movie resume.
Ever since The Sixth Sense, Shyamalan has been hit and miss with the films he makes. Some of them have been great and some of been downright awful.
During a recent interview with Total Film, Shyamalan recalls a moment he had with Bruce Willis, where the actor initially had a cold reaction to a note from the young director.
As Shyamalan shared: "There was a slightly tense moment in the last thing we were shooting on that Friday where [Bruce] did a line and I had a note. You never know when that moment happens, when you make or break your career, when you become who you’re going to become.
“I was like, 26 or 27. He gave me the ice look: 'I think we got it.' And I went over to him. He was ice. And I whispered in his ear the note. I said, 'I want you to der-der-der-der'.
“He kind of looked at me, and I quickly go, 'Alright, roll sound. Here we go!' I didn’t even give him a conversation."
Shyamalan went on to explain how Willis went on and "nailed" the scene, and afterward, he called the filmmaker over to his trailer to talk to him.
As you might imagine, Shyamalan was incredibly nervous think Willis might lash out at him in some way. But, that’s not what happened. Instead, Willis went on to compare the director to Quintin Tarantino.
Shyamalan remembers: "I go up, and I knock on the door, and the door opens. I go, 'Hey, did you want to say something?' and he goes, 'I’ve only felt this once before.’
“‘I felt it on Pulp Fiction, and I just felt it now.' And then he goes, 'You’ve got it, kid.' So I said, 'Oh, thanks!' He closed the door, and I literally skipped down the sidewalk.
“But that’s who he was. He would test you, and basically say, 'Do you believe in yourself? Because I don’t think you do.' And if it works, it works. If it doesn’t work, you’re dead. And it worked!"
Shyamalan certainly did have it then, but he’s since lost it and he’s nowhere near the same league of talent as Tarantino.
I remember when I first saw The Sixth Sense I thought Shyamalan was going to be the next Spielberg. But, boy oh boy, was I wrong. I think he had the potential, but his journey took him in a different direction.